Standard Interface Glovebox Operations (SIGB)

Objectives

The Microgravity Glovebox (MGBX) was developed to provide a common facility representing one or two levels of containment that would allow investigative teams to focus on the development of flight hardware obtaining the desired science, while minimizing the need to meet containment issues associated with manned space flight. During the Greenhouse experiment specifically, the objective was to perform functional verification procedures ensuring proper containment for investigations utilizing the Standard Interface Glovebox (SIGB) operations.

Shuttle-Mir Missions
NASA-4

Approach
The glovebox was installed in its location on Mir in the Priroda module and a functional verification procedure was performed.

Results
The SIGB provided a work area for microgravity investigations that could be physically isolated from the manned environment. In addition, the facility provided a negative pressure in the physically isolated work area with respect to the manned environment using a closed air filtration system (isolated from the manned environment) provided no leaks occurred in the physical isolation system. This air circulation system represented a second level of containment in that nothing could get from the work area into the manned environment without passing through two separate banks of filters. The filters were capable of capturing all solid particulate (>3 microns in diameter) and liquids.

The MGBX facility operated flawlessly and as designed during the 290 hours of accumulated time during the NASA-2, NASA-3, NASA-4 and NASA-5 missions.

Publications
None available at this time

Principal Investigators
Paul D. Savage
NASA/Ames Research Center

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Page last updated: 07/16/1999