AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
UPDATE
June 2018
McIlvaine Company
Microbes Survive Cleanrooms,
Contaminate Spacecraft
Spacecraft assembly facilities harbor a low but persistent amount of biological
contamination despite the use of cleanrooms.
Rakesh Mogul, a Cal Poly Pomona professor of biological chemistry, was the lead
author of an article in the journal Astrobiology that offers the first
biochemical evidence explaining the reason the contamination persists.
Chemistry professor Gregory A. Barding, Jr., was a collaborator and second
author on the paper. The remaining 22 coauthors are all Cal Poly Pomona students
— 14 undergraduates in chemistry, three chemistry graduate students, and five
undergraduates in biological sciences.
“We designed the project to give students hands-on experience — and to support
the learn-by-doing philosophy of Cal Poly Pomona. The students did the research,
mostly as thesis projects in the areas of enzymology, molecular microbiology and
analytical chemistry,” says Mogul.
In the cleanroom facilities, NASA implements a variety of planetary protection
measures to minimize biological contamination of spacecraft. These steps are
important because contamination by Earth-based microorganisms could compromise
life-detection missions by providing false positive results.
Despite extensive cleaning procedures, however, molecular genetic analyses show
that the cleanrooms harbor a diverse collection of microorganisms, or a
spacecraft microbiome, that includes bacteria, archaea and fungi, explains
Mogul. The Acinetobacter, a genus of bacteria, are among the dominant members of
the spacecraft microbiome.
Engineers work on Opportunity (in its cruise configuration) in a cleanroom at
Kennedy Space Center. A very important part of planetary protection is keeping
contaminants from humans from riding aboard spacecraft. The pictured engineers
are donning “bunny suits” that only allow their eyes to be exposed.
To figure out how the spacecraft microbiome survives in the cleanroom
facilities, the research team analyzed several Acinetobacter strains that were
originally isolated from the Mars Odyssey and Phoenix spacecraft facilities.
They found that under very nutrient-restricted conditions, most of the tested
strains grew on and biodegraded the cleaning agents used during spacecraft
assembly. The work showed that
cultures grew on ethyl alcohol as a sole carbon source while displaying
reasonable tolerances towards oxidative stress. This is important since
oxidative stress is associated with desiccating and high radiation environments
similar to Mars.
The tested strains were also able to biodegrade isopropyl alcohol and Kleenol
30, two other cleaning agents commonly used, with these products potentially
serving as energy sources for the microbiome.
“We’re giving the planetary protection community a baseline understanding of why
these microorganisms remain in the cleanrooms,” says Mogul. “There’s always
stuff coming into the cleanrooms, but one of the questions has been why do the
microbes remain in the cleanrooms, and why is there a set of microorganisms that
are common to the cleanrooms.”
For planetary protection, this indicates that more stringent cleaning steps may
be needed for missions focused on life detection and highlights the potential
need to use differing and rotating cleaning reagents that are compatible with
the spacecraft to control the biological burden.
Source: Cal Poly Pomona
Astro Pak Expands Cleanroom Space
Opening this summer, the renovated 38,000 sq. ft. site in Florida features an
ISO Class 7 cleanroom and accompanying ISO 6 lab.
Astro Pak, the US-based passivation, high purity and precision cleaning services
company, is set to open a renovated site in Florida. Located just outside of the
Kennedy Space Center (KSC), the 38,000 sq. ft. facility is scheduled to open
this summer.
The company said the investment aims to continue supporting onsite work at KSC
on such projects as the ongoing work at the mobile launch platform (MLP) in
support of NASA’s upcoming space launch system (SLS).
The new location’s signature feature is a 15’x15’ tower (70 ft vertical), which
enables the processing of hoses up to 60 ft in length.
In addition to the larger footprint, Astro Pak’s capabilities in Florida are
also expanding. An ISO 7 cleanroom and accompanying ISO 6 lab are joined by a
shop area with a 4K ton bridge crane and large aqueous processing tanks, a
pre-clean area with multiple workstations and ultrasonic units and expanded
hydrostatic, hydraulic and pneumatic testing capabilities.
“This facility represents both the completion of the Chemko acquisition and an
evolutionary step forward for Astro Pak,” said Jonathan Hopkins, general manager
of Chemko. “We will be combining our world-class precision cleaning services and
our industry-leading field operations teams under the same roof. As a result, we
will be able to support our customers both on the Space Coast and throughout the
southeast region with an unmatched level of efficiency and value.”
The Astro Pak Titusville facility marks the completion of a process that began
when Astro Pak acquired Chemko Technical Services in 2016. Chemko has been
meeting the needs of its clients – both private and government – since 1972.
The Titusville location more than quadruples the floor space available in its
current Northern Brevard County building and joins the company’s 35,000 sq. ft.
legacy facility in Downey, California.
Astro Pak made its name with precision cleaning services back in the 1960’s.
Processing in a controlled environment, cleanliness verification for particle
count, TFS, NVR, vacuum sealed packaging, cold shock, and pressure testing are
just a few of the cleaning, packaging and testing services available.
The facility is further supported by a brand-new, state-of-the-art cleanroom
trailer, which allows for onsite support in addition to the in-house services.
European Space Agency
Commissions Clean Cube
Clean Environments, a UK cleanroom supplier, had a deadline of 8 weeks to
deliver a cleanroom solution for a mission to the sun.
Cheshire based cleanroom supplier, Clean Environments, a division of Moorfield
Nanotechnology, was approached by Airbus Defense and Space, to design and
develop an ISO 5 cleanroom. The sensitive instruments that go onto the European
Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter satellite needed ISO 5 for particulate as well as
protection from molecular, electromagnetic and magnetic contamination.
Clean Environments designed and supplied a Clean Cube to sit in Airbus' ISO 8
facility. Due to time restrictions Clean Environments built the frame as a
complete unit that could be lifted into position, fitting the glass infill
panels and electrics, once the Clean Cube was in position. The European Space
Agency funded the project.
The customized ISO 5 Clean Cube cleanroom is a special contamination control
environment, required for the critical assembly, integration and testing of the
satellite.
A key feature of the clean environment was that it be portable so other ESA
partners could benefit from the initial investment by the space agency.
The Solar Orbiter Clean Cube was designed to be supplied as a complete shell
that could arrive at the Airbus' ISO 8 cleanroom and be assembled within a day.
A small team then populated the Clean Cube putting in the ceiling grid, glazing
the wall panels and beginning the cleanup.
The Clean Cube was ready for evaluation within 10 days of arriving on site,
successfully removing incident outgas and electrostatic.
Solar Orbiter is set to launch in February 2019, through a NASA supplied Atlas V
rocket and its mission is to study the sun’s heliosphere and observe it in
previously unprecedented detail to uncover its inner workings and unmask the
secrets of the solar wind.
The rocket will approach the sun to within 42 million km. And from this vantage
point it will be positioned to observe the sun at a resolution never before
observed of 70 km/pixel and analyses its heliosphere in fine detail.
The main aim of the measurements will be to identify the underlying processes
driving the solar wind, streams of particles continuously escaping the sun. The
measurements will combine the immediate in situ environment and remote sensing
observations.
Lester Waugh, Engineering Manager at Airbus in Stevenage, commented: “We have
instruments that are highly sensitive to contamination, which could affect their
capabilities and performance in space.
“The Clean Cube was selected as it provides the high levels of cleanliness
required and its flexible design allows it to be re-sited for future programs,
as required,” he said.
R&D Magazine and Laboratory
Design Celebrate the Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building,
Metropolitan State University of Denver, as 2018 Laboratory of the Year Special
Mention Award
Now in its 52nd year, the Laboratory of the Year Awards continue to recognize
excellence in research laboratory design, planning and construction. Judging for
this year’s competition took place on March 6, and was conducted by a
blue-ribbon panel of laboratory architects, engineers, equipment manufacturers
and the editors of R&D Magazine and Laboratory Design.
This annual international competition receives entries from the best new and
renovated laboratories. Eligible projects represent a wide variety of laboratory
types, including research, quality assurance/control, teaching, software
development, environmental, clinical, forensic, and testing and standards.
The Laboratory of the Year is an annual competition that receives entries from
the best new and renovated laboratories worldwide. The award was announced at
the 2018 Laboratory Design Conference in Philadelphia by Bea Riemschneider,
Laboratory Design Conference Chair/Editorial Director, ABM Science Group. She
introduced Erin Hillhouse, Senior Associate, Project Manager, and David Pfeifer,
Design Principal, from Anderson Mason Dale to accept the prize.
Bea Riemschneider, Laboratory Design Conference Chair/Editorial Director, ABM
Science Group, announces the 2018 Laboratory of the Year Special Mention winner.
Metropolitan State University of Denver is the only public, four-year, “access”
institution of higher education in Colorado, and boasts a very high acceptance
rate. Most students are from the Denver metro area and many are first-generation
students who are eligible for Pell grants. The Aerospace & Engineering Sciences
(AES) building was conceived as an opportunity for the school to build on these
traditions of inclusivity and community service, and serve as a link between
local residents and the region’s flourishing aerospace industry.
The University decided to re-organize its existing Engineering Technology
Sciences, Computer Science and Industrial Design programs into a new facility to
support its baccalaureate degree, created to accommodate Colorado’s growing
manufacturing workforce— specifically the aerospace industry.
The AES facility is truly a community effort, leasing space to local startup
companies as well as utilized donated equipment, such as 3D metal printers, from
area companies. Large windows give passers-by a glimpse of what’s going on
inside the laboratories and building systems are on display.
Flexibility is paramount, with services in the lab distributed from overhead so
that equipment can easily be changed out when newer models come in. All labs are
planned on a modular basis so that, if necessary, it’s easy to reallocate them
to adapt to long-range program changes in the future. Ground-floor labs are
dedicated to fabrication and facilities on the upper floors are designed for
teaching subjects associated with the advanced manufacturing aerospace industry,
such as electronics, computer science and thermal dynamic labs, and drafting and
design studios. The building is on track for LEED Gold certification, and is
also projected to achieve 18 percent Energy Cost savings over ASHRAE 90.1 2010
baseline requirements.
“The Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building at Metropolitan State
University of Denver is a marvelous facility that shows off the importance of
education,” said Bea Riemschneider, Laboratory Design Conference Chair/Editorial
Director, ABM Science Group. “The building is a striking example of what can be
done on a limited budget, and its value makes it worthy of recognition.
Additionally, it showcases the spirit of collaboration between the University,
local community and the Colorado aerospace industry. We congratulate Anderson
Mason Dale and the rest of the team on their Laboratory of the Year Special
Mention win.”
Anderson Mason Dale Architects of Denver, Colo., was the submitter and architect
of the Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building.
“The Aerospace and Engineering Sciences Building at MSU Denver deserves its
Laboratory of the Year Special Mention recognition in no small part due to the
combined effort of Anderson Mason Dale and the rest of the team who worked on
the building,” said MaryBeth DiDonna, Editor, Laboratory Design. “The synergy
between everyone involved with this project is evident in the final result—a
beautiful building with state-of-the-art resources and enthusiasm from its
students and faculty as well as the surrounding community and the aerospace
industry.”
Anderson Mason Dale's David Pfeifer, Design Principal (speaking), and Erin
Hillhouse, Senior Associate, Project Manager, present their winning project to
the Laboratory Design Conference audience.
Structural engineering was done by KLAA of Denver. Mechanical and plumbing was
handled by Cator, Ruma & Associates of Lakewood, Colo. Electrical was done by
BCER Group of Arvada, Colo. Technology/Security was provided by Rimrock
Technology, a BCER Group, from Colorado Springs, Colo.
Laboratory work was handled by Research Facilities Design of San Diego, while
landscaping was done by Civitas of Denver. Martin & Martin of Lakewood, Colo.,
handled civil engineering. Code was done by Advanced Consulting Engineers, also
of Lakewood.
Acoustics/AV was provided by K2 Audio of Boulder, Colo. Cost was handled by
Cumming of Englewood, Colo. Sustainability was handled by France Sustainable
Solutions of Littleton, Colo. Energy Modeling was taken care of by Weidt Group
and Furniture Selection was handled by Gallun Snow, both of Denver. The Lab
Casework Contractor was ISEC Inc. of Greenwood, Colo.
Laboratory Steel Casework/Cabinets, Epoxy Resin Counters, and Laboratory Fume
Hoods were all provided by Kewaunee Scientific Corp. of Statesville, N.C.
Wood Work Tops came from Michigan Maple Block Co. of Petoskey, Mich. Laboratory
Fittings, as well as Laboratory Safety Shower/Eyewash Equipment, were provided
by Water Saver Faucet Co. of Chicago. Electronics Benches were by Production
Basics of Billerica, Mass. Overhead Service Carrier/Heavy Duty Shelving came
from Valley Lab Furnishings of Chino, Calif. Inter Dyne Systems of Norton
Shores, Mich., provided Drying Racks. Lab Stools and Chairs-KI came from Canter
& Associates LLC of Lakewood, Colo., as did Lab Stools-Dauphin. The Audio Visual
Contractor was AVI Systems of Englewood, Colo.
The 52nd annual Laboratory of the Year Awards are a joint program of R&D
Magazine and Laboratory Design, publications of Advantage Business Marketing.
About Laboratory Design
Laboratory Design (www.labdesignnews.com) serves the entire R&D/laboratory
community involved in the design, construction and engineering of laboratory
facilities. Our diverse content, created by experts in the industry, provides
cutting-edge information on trends and techniques that make these
mission-critical buildings more efficient, cost-effective and functional.
About R&D Magazine
Since its founding in 1959 as Industrial Research, R&D Magazine (www.rdmag.com)
has served research scientists, engineers and technical staff at laboratories
around the world, providing timely, informative news and useful technical
articles that broaden readers’ knowledge of the research and development
industry and improve the quality of their work. R&D Magazine is a publication of
the Advantage Business Marketing Science Group, with sister brands including
Laboratory Equipment, Bioscience Technology, Drug Discovery & Development,
Laboratory Design, Scientific Computing, ALN and Controlled Environments.
McIlvaine Company
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