Environmental Control of the Mini Pressurized Logistic Module

The Mini Pressurized Logistic Module (MPLM) is designed to transport supplies and return cargo requiring a pressurized environment to and from the Space Station Freedom (SSF) via the National Space Transportation System (NSTS) Shuttle. The MPLM provides accommodation for a number of cargo racks, including two Freezer/Refrigerators (F/Rs) and one subsystem rack. The maintenance of the habitable conditions for the crew and the control of the MPLM thermal environment are carried out by the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) and the Thermal Control System (TCS).

The ECLSS and TCS functional concepts are tailored to the peculiarities of the MPLM design, based on mass and volume minimization, maximum simplification and exploitation of the resources available at the SSF interface.

This paper provides an overview of the ECLSS and TCS design features and components, describing the results of the main trade-offs performed by Alenia Spazio in the definition phase of the Phase B MPLM baseline (Mid-Term Review).