ANITA: An FTIR Spectrometer Flight Experiment for Space Craft Cabin Air Analysis

In a multiple-phase ESA project starting in 1990, the technology for trace gas monitoring in a crewed space cabin was developed. Based on optical principles - a Fourier-Transform-Infrared Spectrometer in combination with sophisticated analysis S/W - the instrument has the characteristics to identify and quantity quasi on-line over 30 most relevant trace gases in air. A system for testing the analysis technology in a shuttle flight is presently under design. The ANITA (Analyzing Interferometer for Ambient Air) development status and plans for the space flight beginning of 2003 will be reported in this paper. The description of the analysis S/W was already reported in an earlier ICES paper [1].