The FAE Electrolyser Flight Experiment FAVORITE: Final Design and Pre-flight Ground Test Results

FAVORITE (Fixed Alkaline Electrolyte Electrolyser Water Vapor Oxygen Reclamation In-flight Technology Demonstration Experiment) is an orbital flight experiment for a fixed alkaline electrolyte (FAE) electrolyser stack dedicated to generate oxygen and hydrogen out of water for life support and other applications.

It was originally planned to fly in September 2003 on board the SpaceHab mission STS -118 with the space shuttle COLUMBIA flight ISS-13A.1, but after the tragic accident of COLUMBIA it was adapted to be launched with the unmanned Russian FOTON-M2 in May 2005.

FAVORITE was therefore redesigned, manufactured and ground tested in 2004.

This paper summarizes the pre-flight ground test results, reports on the lessons-learnt and gives an overview of the intended in-orbit and post-mission test program.