Spaceport Compatible Optical Sensor Suite for Hazardous Gas Detection

Monitoring mission critical gases is vital for space ventures, including space shuttles, the international space station, spacecraft for planetary missions, spaceports, future projects on Mars, and satellites ? they all need to monitor gases that are mission critical. Intelligent Optical Systems (IOS), based on the successful results of Phase I, proposes to develop a compact and multi-analyte sensing platform for use across all NASA enterprises. Specifically, IOS will develop a prototype MOFS (multiplexed optical fiber sensor) unit for measuring, in real time, the leakage of highly combustible cryogenic fluids (hydrogen and oxygen) in spaceport and spacecraft in low ppms over multiple locations. The use of optical fiber in the MOFS unit will eliminate the danger of any arc or spark. During Phase I, IOS successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed device by constructing an eight-channel experimental setup that was able to detect 0.02% oxygen and 0.1% hydrogen with no interference from 100% nitrogen, argon, helium, and carbon dioxide. IOS has committed $150,000 co-funding for Phase II, and has attracted $250,000 in additional follow-on funding. IOS will deliver the MOFS prototype to NASA, complete with software, manuals, and schematics.