1 MINUS EIGHTY DEGREE LABORATORY FREEZER FOR ISS (MELFI) MSFC Briefing February 2005 John Cornwell

2 MELFI Purpose Serve as an on orbit cooling and low temperature science storage facility Provide cold storage transportation to/from ISS in MPLM Programmatics MELFI is being provided to NASA by ESA as a part of the Columbus Orbital Facility Launch Barter –Prime contractor is EADS/Astrium of Toulouse, France Crew and Thermal Systems Division/EC is managing MELFI for the ISS Payloads Office/OZ –Jacobs-Sverdrup provides project management and engineering support

3 MELFI Fleet The MELFI fleet consists of 3 Flight Units, a Trainer, a Laboratory Ground Model and an Engineering Unit –Flight Unit #1 has undergone acceptance testing at KSC and will be launched on ULF1.1 in July 2005 –Flight Units #2 was delivered to KSC in 2004 and will be owned by JAXA and operated by NASA under a separate NASA/JAXA barter –Flight Unit #3 will be delivered late in 2005 –Trainer is located in the Space Station Training Facility at JSC –Laboratory Ground Model is located with Engineering at JSC –The Engineering Unit will be delivered to NASA-JSC in June 2005

4 MELFI Flight Unit

5 MELFI Facility MELFI External Interfaces MPLM for transport to/from ISS (Bay 2 port or starboard only) –Power*, data, water cooling loop –Late access/early retrieval –Mass is 804 kg and carries up to 100 kg sample mass ISS –Compatible with US Lab and JEM locations on ISS –Power*, data, low temperature cooling loop –2 year life on orbit * Capable of maintaining dewars within temperature limits for up to 8 hours without power (-68C upper temperature limit in -80C mode)

6 MELFI Subsystem Overview MELFI is comprised of four subsystems with critical components as ORUs –Rack Subsystem: 6 post NASDA ISPR –Electrical Subsystem Provides power/data/control Electronics Unit, ORU with spare in the stowage compartment –Brayton Subsystem Low pressure gaseous nitrogen working fluid Total power consumption 550 to 950 W (nominal) Brayton Machine Cartridge, ORU with spare –Dewar Subsystem Distributes cooling to the four dewars Vacuum insulation with high thermal inertia Dewar temperatures individually controlled in three modes: -80C, -26C & +4C Total cold volume 300 liters Cold volume available for stowage 175 liters, 44 liters per dewar

7 MELFI Science Interfaces Box Module Facility Dewar Tray Sample Card

8 MELFI Operations MELFI control responsibilities KSC provides control to MELFI in the MPLM during –pre-launch orbiter operations –post-landing orbiter operations MSFC provides control to MELFI during –shuttle operations with MPLM in cargo bay (MELFI is unpowered during launch and landing phase) –operations while MPLM is docked to ISS –ISS operations with MELFI in US Lab or JEM JSC provides control during off nominal conditions –project team will support from Telescience Center (TSC) capable of controlling MELFI –provides VPN (Virtual Private Network) access to real time data (ESA, Astrium, other)

9 MELFI Backup Charts

10 MELFI Acceptance Testing EADS/Astrium –Extensive system testing –Thermal performance testing PRCU –Thermal performance testing at KSC PTCS –Data and commanding at KSC MOOCE (MELFI On Orbit Commissioning Experiment) –Microgravity testing on ISS to verify sample cooling performance MPLM Risk Mitigation –Thermal, power, software, communication testing with MELFI in MPLM for various environments In shuttle/MPLM prior to launch at KSC In shuttle/MPLM on orbit MPLM attached to ISS In shuttle after landing at KSC

11 MELFI Components Brayton ORUMachine shaft with gas-bearing Dewar with trays Cold Box containing the cycle heat exchanger

12 Dewar

13 Box Modules 1/4 Box Module 1/2 Box Module Lid Hinged Side Lid Lock Module Locking Mechanism

14 Backup: MELFI Hardware Contact CardVial Card