HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – 31 August 11
Marshall Intern Catalyst in Improving ISS Water
By: Heather L. Ogletree
Joe Charbonnet, an intern with the Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP) at Marshall Space Flight Center, said, “When I grow older, I stress that I do not say ‘grow up’ as grown-ups have no fun, I want to save the world.” This sentiment of wanting to make an impact on the world is shared by many of the interns that come through USRP and by many of the “green” researchers and scientists at NASA.
The spring, Charbonnet joined USRP Mentor Layne Carter to work on a 15-week project concerning the International Space Station’s (ISS) Volatile Removal Assembly (VRA). The VRA is one of many components that enable the ISS Water Recovery System to turn waste water from urine, hygienic activities and condensed air humidity into potable water, lessening the load of fresh water supply needed while adding to the sustainable nature of the ISS.
“Specifically my research works toward the goal of developing catalysts that will facilitate the processing of water at low temperatures and pressures,” explained Charbonnet. Catalytic oxidation is one of the four technologies, including particulate filtration, ion exchange and carbon adsorption, used in water purification on the ISS. Charbonnet remarked, “[Catalyst development] is especially important in orbit as we seek to...reduce the pressure at which processing units operate, mitigating the chances of troublesome leaks. The performance of these catalysts in the experimental analysis I perform...will contribute directly to cleaner, less energy-intensive, and safer processing of the water astronauts depend on to live.” Ironically, the potable water produced by the Waste Recovery System is cleaner than the water that comes from American taps.
Over the course of his project, Charbonnet said, “My assignment has challenged me in dimensions that extend far beyond straightforward classroom learning. The most interesting part of the challenge has been the physical aspect, which involves actually constructing, not just designing or studying, tools for experimentation.”
Charbonnet is no stranger to researching water; last summer he was one of two interns selected by the Kenai Watershed Forum, an Alaskan non-profit organization, to take part in their efforts to provide healthy watersheds across the Kenai Peninsula.
When he graduates from Georgia Institute of Technology next year, Charbonnet plans to attend graduate school and then possibly join the Peace Corps. Ultimately, he wants to “work with a non-profit community or government agency managing water resources,” hopes to contribute to smart water policies and technologies. Once this is achieved, he would like to pass his knowledge onto “the next generation of world-savers as teacher.”
Charbonnet concluded, “My time at NASA has only strengthened my conviction that water is the most precious material resource that exists for humans and expanding sustainable access to it, wise use of it and preservation of the environment it shapes are fundamental issues.”