Development of an Infrared Absorption Transducer to Monitor Partial Pressure of Carbon Dioxide for Space Applications

An Infrared (IR) carbon dioxide (CO₂) transducer has been designed, developed, and produced for space applications. This transducer provides measurement of partial pressure of CO₂ in life support applications, including the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), Space Shuttle Orbiter and Spacehab. The electrochemical sensor presently used for these applications has a slow response time and has reliability concerns due to the electrolyte. The new microprocessor based unit has a fast response time and can be tailored to other space applications.