Experimental system for investigating membrane gas-liquid mass transfer during a parabolic flight

This research tests the hypothesis that oxygen mass transfer through a hollow fiber membrane contactor remains unaffected by changes in gravity. To validate this, oxygen mass transfer coefficients were measured under terrestrial, Martian, Lunar, and microgravity conditions simulated during parabolic flights. Baseline data from 15 terrestrial experiments were statistically compared via Student's T-Test to results from 10 Martian, 10 Lunar, and 5 microgravity parabolas. The respective p-values of 0.41, 0.48, and 0.85, all well above the 0.05 threshold, indicate no significant difference in oxygen mass transfer across gravity levels. These findings support the robustness of membrane gas transfer technologies across varied gravitational environments, advancing their Technology Readiness Level. This outcome has important implications for life support and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) systems in space habitats and promises to enhance membrane process efficiency in diverse terrestrial and extraterrestrial applications.