Development Status of the Mini Pressurized Logistics Module Environmental Control and Life Support Subsystem and Equipment

The Mini Pressurized Logistics Module (MPLM) is being developed as the Italian contribution to the International Space Station (ISS) Programme. To improve the efficiency of European space programmes, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have decided to increase the commonality between the MPLM and the Columbus Orbital Facility (COF), the European laboratory contribution to the ISS. As a result ASI will provide to ESA a primary structure of the MPLM to be used as the primary structure for COF; in return ESA will provide to ASI the ECLS subsystem for the MPLM, which is a subset of the COF ECLS subsystem.

This paper describes the functions of the MPLM ECLS subsystem, the analytical and developmental activities performed by the ECLS Contractor, Daimler-Benz Aerospace Dornier GmbH, and the development status of the various ECLS equipment.