Results of the Vapor Compression Distillation Flight Experiment (VCD-FE)

The Vapor Compression Distillation Flight Experiment (VCD-FE) was an International Space Station (ISS) Risk Mitigation Experiment launched within the SPACEHAB module aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia during the STS-107 mission. The experiment was intended to investigate the microgravity sensitivity of a VCD-based Urine Processor Assembly (UPA). The VCD-FE was a full-scale developmental version of the Space Station UPA and was designed to test some of the potential micro-gravity issues with the design and to establish the readiness of VCD technology for use in the ISS UPA application prior to the permanent deployment of the UPA to the ISS. This paper summarizes the experiment results.