Vika oxygen generator: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Backup life support system on Mir and the ISS}}

'''Vika''' or '''TGK''' is an oxygen generating system for spaceflight.<ref name=ellis>[https://wwwappel.nasa.gov/pdf2011/602090main_44s_international_life_support.pdf Kerry Ellis 11/02/international-life-support/ '''International Life Support'''] - Kerry Ellis. Ask Magazine]. APPEL Knowledge Services.</ref> It is a SFOG, or solid-fuel oxygen generator, a kind of [[chemical oxygen generator]].<ref name=ellis/> It has been used on the retired [[Mir]] space station and the [[International Space Station]].<ref name=ellis/> It was originally developed by [[Roscosmos]] to supplement the [[Elektron (ISS)|''Elektron'']] oxygen system on ''Mir''.<ref name=ellis/> A Vika module, also known as a "candle", contains about one liter of [[lithium perchlorate]] and can provide oxygen for one person for 24 hours.<ref name=ellis/>

After being adopted for use on the ISS, it had the NASA name '''SFOG''', but they also sometimes use the Russian acronym TGK.<ref name=ellis/>

==Vika on Mir==

[[File:Linenger in Respirator.jpg|thumb|right|Astronaut [[Jerry Linenger]] wearing a respirator mask following the 1997 fire aboard ''Mir'' from an SFOG fire|alt=A man holding a piece of hose floats in front of a selection of transient space station hardware. He is wearing a gray-and-yellow plastic mask over his mouth and nose, a pair of goggles above his eyes, and a blue jumpsuit with a name patch on it.]]

Vika was used on Mir when more than three people were on board.<ref name=david>[http://books.google.com/books?id{{cite book |author=FUtZwjleT3kC&pg=PA270&lpg=PA270&dq=Vika+oxygen&source=bl&ots=c1ojtq99y3&sig=hduoB3ZcMFuPLPh4EWPy1hiWq-0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xATsTpL5K4Xhtgfi0IimCg&ved=0CFkQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Vika%20oxygen&f=false David MichaelM. Harland - '''|title=The storyStory of the spaceSpace shuttle'''Shuttle (|year=2004) -|publisher=Springer PageScience 270]& (GoogleBusiness BooksMedia link)|isbn=978-1-85233-793-3 |page=270 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FUtZwjleT3kC&pg=PA270}}</ref> Vika needs a supply of canisters to work, which must be flown into space.<ref name=david/> An example of this is [[Progress M-34]], which carried 60 canisters to Mir in 1997 along with other cargo.<ref name=david/> If ''Vika'' and ''Elektron'' stopped working, the station would have to rely on a limited supply of bottled oxygen.<ref name=david/>

{{quoteQuote box|width=22em|The fire was a “raging"raging blowtorch" .. |—Mir crewmember onboard during the fire<ref name=ellis/>}}

Vika was used on Mir when more than three people were on board.<ref name=david>[http://books.google.com/books?id=FUtZwjleT3kC&pg=PA270&lpg=PA270&dq=Vika+oxygen&source=bl&ots=c1ojtq99y3&sig=hduoB3ZcMFuPLPh4EWPy1hiWq-0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xATsTpL5K4Xhtgfi0IimCg&ved=0CFkQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Vika%20oxygen&f=false David Michael Harland - '''The story of the space shuttle''' (2004) - Page 270] (Google Books link)</ref> Vika needs a supply of canisters to work, which must be flown into space.<ref name=david/> An example of this is [[Progress M-34]], which carried 60 canisters to Mir in 1997 along with other cargo.<ref name=david/> If ''Vika'' and ''Elektron'' stopped working, the station would have to rely on a limited supply of bottled oxygen.<ref name=david/>

In February 1997 a Vika chemical oxygen generator failed on Mir in the [[Kvant-1]] module. It caught fire and spewed a torch-like jet of a molten metal and sparks across one of the [[Mir]] [[space station]] modules, burning for around 14 minutes and blocking the escape route to the docked [[Soyuz spacecraft]].<ref name=ellis/> The fire was eventually put outextinguished, and the crew was not harmed.<ref name=ellis/> A definitive cause toof the accident was not determined because the fire destroyed the device,. but itIt was suspected that a torn piece of rubber glove worn during assembly likely contaminated the canister.<ref name=ellis/> Despite this incident, NASA decided it was still the best supplemental oxygen system available, and supported its use on the then -upcoming ISS.<ref name=ellis/> HoweverThe the U.S.US and Russia worked together to improve the safety of the system before using it on the new space station.<ref name=ellis/>

{{quote box|width=22em|The fire was a “raging blowtorch" .. |—Mir crewmember onboard during the fire<ref name=ellis/>}}

In February 1997 a Vika chemical oxygen generator failed on Mir. It caught fire and spewed a torch-like jet of a molten metal and sparks across one of the [[Mir]] [[space station]] modules, burning for around 14 minutes and blocking the escape route to the docked [[Soyuz spacecraft]].<ref name=ellis/> The fire was eventually put out, and the crew was not harmed.<ref name=ellis/> A definitive cause to the accident was not determined because the fire destroyed the device, but it was suspected that a torn piece of rubber glove worn during assembly likely contaminated the canister.<ref name=ellis/> Despite this incident, NASA decided it was still the best supplemental oxygen system available and supported its use on the then upcoming ISS.<ref name=ellis/> However the U.S. and Russia worked together to improve the safety of the system before using it on the new space station.<ref name=ellis/>

==Vika on ISS==

{{seeSee also|ISS ECLSS}}

A backup to the temperamental{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} [[Elektron (ISS)|''Elektron'']] system used on both the ISS and ''Mir'' is the ''Vika'' solid-fuel oxygen generator (SFOG), which contains a replaceable cartridge – a thin-walled steel tube with a three-part block of oxygen-releasing mixture based on [[lithium perchlorate]]. Two parts are tablets of the chemical mixture and the third one is the igniter tablet with a flash [[igniter]]. The igniter is struck by a firing pin when the device is activated. One cartridge releases {{convert|600|lL|USgal}} of oxygen and burns for 5–20 minutes at {{convert|450|-|500|C|F}}.<ref>[http://www.molecularproducts.com/products_detail.php?id=2 Oxygen Generators]. Products. Molecular Products. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020064936/http://www.molecularproducts.com/products_detail.php?id=2 |date=2007-10-20 }}</ref> The oxygen is cooled and filtered fromto remove dust and odours, and released into the space station atmosphere.{{citation needed|date=December 2010}}

{{see also|ISS ECLSS}}

==See also==

*[[Life -support system]]

==References==

{{reflistReflist}}

==External links==

*[[:File:Environmental.pdf]] (this has a small picture of an SFOG on the bottom left)

*[https://llis.nasa.gov/lesson/1143 SFOG Lessons Learned]

[[Category:Mir]]

[[Category:Oxygen]]

[[Category:Human spaceflight]]

[[Category:Spacecraft life support systems]]