Tue, Nov 11
|Littleton
Microwave Swing Regeneration Proof of Concept Test Results of a Spacecraft Life Support CO2 Control System
Hear how Lockheed Martin researchers are testing a novel microwave regeneration system for spaceflight CO₂ removal, promising faster desorption and significant energy savings over traditional methods.
Time & Location
Nov 11, 2025, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Littleton, S Wadsworth Blvd, Littleton, CO 80123, USA
About The Event
Metabolic CO2 removal using regenerable solid sorbent media has been utilized on the International Space Station (ISS) for over two decades. The current ISS CO2 control systems utilize electrical resistance heaters embedded in zeolite 13X to thermally desorb CO2 and parasitic water.
Lockheed Martin researchers from the Space and Aeronautics Business Areas, have collaborated to build and test a microwave regeneration CO2 control system that requires 30-50% (TBR) less energy, and ~50% (TBR) faster desorption times than systems that utilize traditional electrical heaters. This talk describes the initial test results of a zeolite 13X based CO2 control system periodically regenerated with 300-400 W of L-band microwave energy (1.0 to 1.3 GHz).
Chris Delnero is a Lockheed Martin Fellow with a focus on spacecraft active thermal control and human life support engineering. Key areas worked in his 26-year career are Orion cockpit configuration, Orion Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS)…