« Previous AbstractNocturnal survival of isoprene linked to formation of upper tropospheric organic aerosol    Next AbstractDogs'olfactory diagnostics applied on human species: state of the art and clinical perspectives »

J Am Soc Mass Spectrom

Title:		"Mass spectrometry in the U.S. space program: past, present, and future"
Author(s):		Palmer PT; Limero TF;
Address:		"Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Francisco State University, California 94132-4163, USA. palmer@sfsu.edu"
Journal Title:		J Am Soc Mass Spectrom
Year:		2001
Volume:		12
Issue:		6
Page Number:		656 - 675
DOI:		10.1016/S1044-0305(01)00249-5
ISSN/ISBN:		1044-0305 (Print) 1044-0305 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Recent years have witnessed significant progress on the miniaturization of mass spectrometers for a variety of field applications. This article describes the development and application of mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation to support of goals of the U.S. space program. Its main focus is on the two most common space-related applications of MS: studying the composition of planetary atmospheres and monitoring air quality on manned space missions. Both sets of applications present special requirements in terms of analytical performance (sensitivity, selectivity, speed, etc.), logistical considerations (space, weight, and power requirements), and deployment in perhaps the harshest of all possible environments (space). The MS instruments deployed on the Pioneer Venus and Mars Viking Lander missions are reviewed for the purposes of illustrating the unique features of the sample introduction systems, mass analyzers, and vacuum systems, and for presenting their specifications which are impressive even by today's standards. The various approaches for monitoring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in cabin atmospheres are also reviewed. In the past, ground-based GC/MS instruments have been used to identify and quantify VOCs in archival samples collected during the Mercury, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle, and Mir missions. Some of the data from the more recent missions are provided to illustrate the composition data obtained and to underscore the need for instrumentation to perform such monitoring in situ. Lastly, the development of two emerging technologies, Direct Sampling Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry (DSITMS) and GC/Ion Mobility Spectrometry (GC/IMS), will be discussed to illustrate their potential utility for future missions"
Keywords:		"Air Pollutants, Occupational/*analysis/chemistry Air Pollution, Indoor/*analysis/prevention & control Atmosphere/analysis Environmental Monitoring/*instrumentation/methods Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Gases/analysis/chemistry Mass Spectrometry/ins;"
Notes:		"MedlinePalmer, P T Limero, T F eng Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 2001/06/13 J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 2001 Jun; 12(6):656-75. doi: 10.1016/S1044-0305(01)00249-5"