A spacecraft trash disposal apparatus and method are disclosed. The spacecraft trash disposal apparatus includes an airlock, an inflatable trash enclosure holding trash, and a pressure regulating system. The spacecraft trash disposal apparatus permits wet and dry trash to be transported from the inside of a spacecraft via the inflatable trash enclosure holding the trash. The inflatable trash enclosure is ejected to the surrounding vacuum of space without causing trash or liquids to escape from the inflatable trash enclosure. The pressure regulating system permits reduction of pressure inside the inflatable trash enclosure from typically atmospheric to a lower pressure while the airlock is depressurizing without going to a full vacuum. This lower pressure is such that, at a given temperature, the liquid trash is prevented from boiling. The lower pressure permits a lightweight inflatable trash enclosure for low cost spacecraft trash disposal.
SPACECRAFT TRASH DISPOSAL APPARATUS AND METHOD
2022-04-07
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B64G Raumfahrt , COSMONAUTICS |
Trash-Disposal Module For Space Station
NTRS | 1989
|Trash disposal problems grow with population
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