NASA has begun testing compact, commercially available air quality monitors aboard the International Space Station (ISS)—a major step toward building healthier, more sustainable habitats for future lunar and Martian explorers.
NASA researchers are sending three air quality monitors to the International Space Station to test them for potential future use on the Moon. Image Credit: NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna
In a recent press release, NASA’s Glenn Research Center detailed the initiative, which leverages the ISS as both a laboratory and a proving ground. The goal is to assess whether smaller, cost-effective air monitoring technologies can reliably perform in the challenging environment of space, paving the way for their future use beyond Earth.
Why Air Quality Is a Bigger Challenge in Space
Maintaining clean air inside spacecraft and planetary habitats is critical—not only to protect astronaut health, but also to preserve the functionality of sensitive equipment. Here on Earth, gravity and atmospheric weather patterns naturally remove airborne particles like dust, smoke, and microbes. In contrast, space environments lack these forces. In microgravity, particles float indefinitely, circulating throughout living areas and posing serious risks.
Lunar dust presents an even greater threat. Sharp and highly abrasive, it can irritate the lungs and eyes, and infiltrate mechanical systems, causing malfunctions. In past missions, managing dust and airborne contaminants has required large, complex, and expensive equipment—technology that would be difficult to deploy in the compact habitats envisioned for future Moon and Mars missions.
Recognizing this challenge, NASA is seeking smaller, simpler, yet equally reliable air quality monitors. Before these devices can be trusted to safeguard astronauts on other worlds, however, they must prove their performance in space-like conditions—which brings the focus to the current ISS experiment.
Putting New Monitors to the Test on the ISS
To evaluate the next generation of air quality sensors, NASA launched three commercially available monitors aboard the 32nd SpaceX commercial resupply mission to the ISS. Roughly the size of a shoebox, each monitor is designed to measure concentrations of fine airborne particles—key data for ensuring safe breathing air.
The monitors underwent extensive calibration and testing on Earth to establish baseline performance metrics before launch. Once aboard the ISS, they were installed at carefully selected locations within the station’s living and working areas. Every two weeks, the devices collect and transmit data back to researchers at NASA Glenn for analysis, providing continuous insight into air quality aboard the station.
Meanwhile, identical monitors are being tested under similar conditions on the ground. This parallel setup is essential: By comparing results from the ISS and Earth, researchers can understand how microgravity affects the sensors’ performance.
To simulate potential contamination events astronauts might encounter, the ground team also conducts dust and smoke tests using specialized simulants. Throughout, engineers track key indicators like particle count, size distribution, and concentration levels, carefully documenting any deviations from expected behavior.
Early Results Show Encouraging Trends
Initial data from the ISS tests are promising. The monitors have been operating within expected parameters, consistently delivering reliable snapshots of the station’s air quality. Their particle measurements align closely with known standards, suggesting that the devices maintain their precision even in microgravity.
Comparison with ground-based data further supports their performance. While slight variations in readings have been noted, likely due to differences in humidity and airflow between Earth and space, these differences are within acceptable margins. In addition, the monitors have responded successfully during simulated dust and smoke events, detecting elevated particle levels with the sensitivity needed for real-world operations.
These early successes strengthen confidence that commercial monitors could one day help astronauts identify and respond to hazardous airborne contaminants, whether from lunar dust storms or Martian surface operations. Continuous data collection will also allow researchers to observe how the devices cope over time with challenges unique to spaceflight, such as radiation exposure, launch vibrations, and power fluctuations.
Laying the Foundation for Safer Habitats
Reliable, real-time air quality monitoring is not just a technical convenience; it is a lifeline. Early detection of harmful airborne particles enables crews to activate filtration systems immediately, preventing health risks before they escalate. Beyond that, understanding how airborne matter behaves in microgravity provides crucial insights for designing better ventilation and air purification systems, which must function under the harsh conditions of extraterrestrial environments.
The success of this test campaign points to a future where affordable, scalable air monitoring solutions are part of every mission architecture. Reducing equipment size, complexity, and cost without compromising safety is vital as NASA and its partners gear up for extended human presence on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
A Look Ahead
Proving that small, affordable sensors can accurately track airborne particles in space marks an important milestone. Early findings show strong alignment between performance expectations and real-world results, both in orbit and on Earth.
As testing continues over the coming months, the team at NASA Glenn Research Center will conduct more detailed analyses, aiming to verify the monitors’ long-term stability and resilience. Success here will open the door to deploying sophisticated air quality monitoring systems in future lunar and Martian habitats—enhancing astronaut safety and extending the lifespan of critical life support equipment.