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ESDMD #0303: Dormancy Recovery for Habitat Water Storage, Distribution, and Reclamation

Keeping habitat water systems safe through uncrewed periods, which raise the risk of microbial growth, and against contamination from surface dust (bin 3, rating 16 of 57). The ISS water system "has never been dormant", and existing biocides support water recovery, not dormancy recovery. This also covers water bags and tanks pre-positioned on the surface as cargo (Tech gaps spreadsheet, ESDMD #0303).

Quotations below are from row ESDMD #0303 of the tech gaps spreadsheet unless marked otherwise. ADD Rev C's Appendix D prints the same table for this gap, and it matches the row field for field (ADD Rev C, p. 212).

Description

"Moon and Mars systems with periods of dormancy have an increased risk of microbial growth and contamination in water systems. Long-life surface habitats also require technology developments to address additional contaminants from surface dust. Capabilities are needed to address these risks and handle other challenges associated with periods of dormancy, including possible logistics water bags/tanks that might spend long periods of time in transit and/or sitting on the lunar/Mars surface as pre-positioned cargo awaiting use by the crew."

Impacts and benefits: "If this gap is not closed, water systems would not support habitation requirements pertaining to dormancy and microbial risk. Insufficient and/or compromised water systems could result in the termination of missions and/or compromised mission operations and/or loss of crew. Water systems may require component replacement after dormancy, resulting in increased delivered mass."

Current state of the art

"ISS water system has never been dormant, which would require replacement of most major components. Existing biocides support water recovery processing, not dormancy recovery."

Performance target

  • Moon/Mars: "Safe and effective long-term (TBR years) maintenance and recovery (during crewed and uncrewed operations) of water systems that meet the chemical and microbial potable water requirements."
  • Mars: "In addition, increased reliability compared to the lunar performance target."

Child gaps

  • 0303-01: Water recovery system with dormancy recovery
  • 0303-02: Robust water recovery systems for long-duration missions
  • 0303-03: Microbial control and mitigation during nominal and uncrewed operations

Traceability

  • Use cases and functions: UC-H-102 L -- FN-H-102 L; UC-H-103 L -- FN-H-104 L; UC-H-104 L -- FN-H-105 L; UC-U-723 L -- FN-U-601 L; UC-H-102 M -- FN-H-104 M; UC-H-103 M -- FN-H-108 M
  • Definition tasks: Mars: Minimum Mars Surface Element Design Lifetime; ECLSS Strategy (In Space); ECLSS Strategy (Mars Surface)
  • Cross-reference: FN-H-102 L, "Enable a pressurized, habitable environment on the lunar surface for moderate duration (month+) use", is also one of the Users Guide's Phase 1 functional gaps (Users Guide, p. 9; see Phase 1 functional gaps). This link joins the two sources; neither makes it.

Segments and sub-architectures

Priority

Priority bin 3, overall prioritization rating 16 of 57. The rating is "the gap's location in the prioritized list of gaps", so 1 is the highest priority, and bins group gaps of similar priority, bin 1 highest. Criticality, urgency, breadth and depth set the order; cost is not considered (ADD Rev C, pp. 78, 199; method on the gaps index).

Moon Base relevance

Not established by the sources so far. The Users Guide does not name #0303 among its near-term Moon Base challenges (Technology and knowledge challenges). The function cross-reference under Traceability is a link between sources, not a mapping either source makes.

Sources

Tech gaps spreadsheet, ESDMD #0303 · ADD Rev C, pp. 78, 199, 212 · Users Guide, p. 9