The International Space Station has deployed a new automated gas analyzer capable of detecting up to 35 different trace contaminants in the air. The device operates using Fourier-transform spectroscopy, which analyzes infrared absorption spectra to identify gas concentrations.
The equipment was delivered by the Progress MS-35 cargo spacecraft, which launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on September 16 and docked with the station three days later. The mission also carried supplies including fuel, water, food, and oxygen.
In addition to the gas analyzer, the cargo ship delivered hardware for several scientific experiments, such as Teledroid, Biopolymer, Virtual, Vampire, Hurricane, and Separation. Data from the analyzer is transmitted to Earth for further analysis.
NASA expects the United States Deorbit Vehicle, currently being developed by SpaceX, to be completed in the second half of 2028. This vehicle is intended to manage the eventual deorbiting of the International Space Station.
