OPERA-S: AI-driven selective smoke sensor

The potential for fire on spacecraft is one of the major threats for long-term crewed space missions. The impact of low-gravity significantly alters the properties of fire and related smoke particles in spacecraft relative to Earth. Additionally, the materials likely to drive participate in fire is very different in spacecraft compared to structures on Earth. Recognizing the importance of early fire detection, early detection of smoke particles from materials close to likely source of fires is critical. Current sensing technologies are neither smoke-specific nor sensitive enough for early detection. There is a need for new sensing technologies that are selective and sensitive to smoke, and compact and low-cost in size for large-scale deployment throughout a spacecraft. In this Phase 1 project, we will demonstrate that a small compact sensor based on optical-sensing and electrical-mobility measurements can provide a means to identify and classify smoke in real-time. This Phase 1 project will build on our development of an advanced aerosol classification sensor called OPERA (opto-electrical real-time aerosol sensor) for NASA. While the OPERA is being built to provide PM2.5 measurements and broadly classify particles by type, its design forms a starting point to expand for smoke specific sensing. In Phase I, we will modify the OPERA to develop OPERA-S (OPERA- Smoke-specific) and demonstrate in lab studies that the OPERA-S can successfully identify smoke particles generated from combustion of space relevant material.