New air analyzer on ISS can detect 35 trace impurities, Roscosmos says
In short
A new instrument has begun operating on the International Space Station that automatically monitors air composition and identifies up to 35 trace impurities, according to Roscosmos and the tech outlet iXBT. The gas analyzer was delivered by the Progress MS-35 cargo ship under the “Газоанализатор ФС” experiment and works by Fourier spectroscopy, passing infrared radiation through air samples. Progress MS-35 launched from Baikonur on 16 September and docked three days later.
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A new instrument has begun operating aboard the International Space Station that automatically monitors the composition of the air and can recognise up to 35 trace impurities. The Russian state agency Roscosmos said the equipment allows continuous control of air quality, according to TASS. The tech outlet iXBT reported that the system tracks the state of the atmosphere, including the main gases and foreign components, so that excess concentrations can be detected in time. [ 1 , 2 ]
The analyzer works on the principle of Fourier spectroscopy, iXBT reported: it passes infrared radiation through an air sample and analyses the characteristic absorption spectrum, which identifies the gases present and their concentrations. Its software automatically recognises 35 trace impurities, and the interferogram transmitted to Earth lets specialists identify other components of the station's atmosphere as well. [ 2 ]
The equipment was delivered by the Progress MS-35 cargo ship as part of the “Газоанализатор ФС” experiment, iXBT reported. The ship launched from Baikonur on 16 September and docked with the station three days later. Along with fuel, water, food and oxygen, it carried scientific equipment and consumables for the experiments “Теледроид”, “Газоанализатор-ФС”, “Биополимер”, “Виртуал”, “Вампир”, “Ураган” and “Сепарация”. [ 2 ]
iXBT framed the delivery against the station's expected end, writing that the ISS is in its final years and that NASA expects SpaceX to complete the United States Deorbit Vehicle, intended to bring the station down from orbit, in the second half of 2028. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
Continuous air monitoring on a crewed station bears directly on crew safety, since trace contaminants can accumulate in a closed atmosphere. Roscosmos presenting the instrument as able to detect excess concentrations suggests the readings feed into day-to-day operations. The broader context in the coverage is that the station is expected to end its life later this decade.
Key facts
- A new instrument on the International Space Station automatically monitors air composition and recognises up to 35 trace impurities, Roscosmos and iXBT reported. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The device was delivered by the Progress MS-35 cargo ship under the “Газоанализатор ФС” experiment. [ 2 ]
- The analyzer uses Fourier spectroscopy, passing infrared radiation through an air sample and analysing the absorption spectrum to identify gases and their concentrations. [ 2 ]
- Its software automatically recognises 35 trace impurities, and the interferogram transmitted to Earth allows specialists to identify other atmospheric components as well, iXBT reported. [ 2 ]
- Roscosmos said the equipment allows continuous monitoring of air quality. [ 1 ]
- Progress MS-35 launched from Baikonur on 16 September and docked with the ISS three days later, also carrying fuel, water, food, oxygen and equipment for other experiments. [ 2 ]
- NASA expects SpaceX to complete the United States Deorbit Vehicle, intended to take the ISS out of orbit, in the second half of 2028, iXBT reported. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The documents do not say when the equipment began operating. Neither source gives a start date for use of the instrument; iXBT says only that use has begun.
- The documents give no accuracy figures or a list of the 35 detectable impurities. Single-source technical detail from iXBT, without specification.
- The documents do not state who built or supplied the analyzer. Neither TASS nor iXBT names a manufacturer or developer.
- iXBT's statement that the ISS is in its final years is the outlet's framing; the only dated element given is NASA's expectation about the deorbit vehicle. Commentary not attributed to an official statement about the station's end date.