Daily News Analysis ‘Gaganyaan ECLSS and Environmental Control Infrastructure ’ : 22 May

Why in News:

• The Indian Space Research Organisation has finalized the technical architecture of the indigenous life-support system designed to replicate Earth’s atmosphere for astronauts inside the Gaganyaan crew module.

Gaganyaan ECLSS Core Facts:

• System Mandate: The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) artificially manages air, water, temperature, humidity, and waste to maintain human habitability in a 400-kilometer (km) low Earth orbit.
• Air Revitalization (ARS): Exhaled carbon dioxide is actively removed using lithium hydroxide (LiOH) canisters integrated with activated charcoal to absorb cabin odors and prevent hypercapnia (carbon dioxide poisoning).
• Forced Circulation Requirement: Because microgravity lacks natural thermal convection, small internal circulatory fans are mandatory to prevent the pooling of lethal carbon dioxide pockets or hazardous oxygen zones.
• Cabin Baselines: The module holds a sea-level atmospheric pressure of 101.3 kilopascals (kPa), a controlled temperature range of 20–26°C, and relative humidity between 30% and 70% to avoid structural condensation or static damage.
• Active Thermal Control: Uses specialized heat exchangers to absorb heat from electronics and human metabolic output (100–150 watts per crew member), expelling the excess thermal energy directly into space.
• Fluid Mechanics & Storage: Since water forms free-floating globules in weightlessness, potable water is forced mechanically using pressurized internal bladders into specialized pouches rather than open containers.
• Suction-Based Waste Management: Liquid and solid human waste are collected using vacuum-driven airflow systems to prevent floating, followed by chemical treatment to neutralize toxic ammonia gases and microbial growth.
• Spherical Fire Suppression: Lacking gravity, fires expand symmetrically into a sphere; the module uses automated smoke detectors and fine water-mist extinguishers to cool flames and scrub toxic smoke particles from the air.