To bring the VSE’s goals to reality, are variety of AR system process technology maturation tasks are being pursued. Principle functions being addressed by these tasks include CO2 partial pressure control, trace VOC control, PM removal, atmospheric gas storage and distribution, resource recovery, and supporting infrastructure. Candidate technologies include the following:

1. CO2 partial pressure control—improved chemisorbent media, improved physical adsorption media, novel adsorbent media substrates and bed packing geometries, vacuum swing adsorption processes, combined vacuum/temperature swing adsorption processes, and reversible reactive processes.
2. Trace VOC control—expendable chemisorbent media, regenerable adsorbent media, novel adsorbent media substrates and bed packing geometries, improved thermal oxidation reactor designs including novel catalyst substrates and reactor geometries, highly efficient recuperative heat exchanger designs.
3. PM removal—inertial separation (10 microns), electrically-enhanced filtration (<0.1 micron), electrostatic precipitation (<0.1 micron), and HEPA filtration (0.3 micron) system designs.
4. Atmospheric gas storage, supply, and distribution—storage tank recharging equipment; high pressure, cryogenic, and supercritical storage; high pressure oxygen production.
5. Resource recovery, storage, and recycling—carbon dioxide reduction processes to methane and carbon products, atmospheric gases from in-situ resources
6. Supporting infrastructure—improved blowers, valves, and process monitoring and control instrumentation; well-developed robust design practices.

Near term emphasis process technology maturation tasks is address AR process technology needs for the Orion Program. The process technologies being considered as likely solutions to AR these near-term challenges are:

1. O2 partial pressure control—physical adsorption and reactive processes regenerated by vacuum swing
2. Trace VOC control—expendable chemisorbents for ammonia, regenerable adsorbents for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and improved ambient temperature CO oxidation catalysts
3. Atmospheric gas storage and distribution—high pressure, cryogenic with minimum zero boil off
4. Supporting infrastructure—imp roved blowers, valves, and process monitoring and control instrumentation

Many process technologies being investigated by the ELS Project’s AR Element are expected to find a niche in multiple flight programs as the United States continues exploring the boundaries of human endurance on board the ISS and returns to the Moon to stay. In this endeavor, the ELS Project plays a key role in bringing the vision into focus.