Vika oxygen generator: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:47, 11 November 2016

Revision as of 18:48, 11 November 2016

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[[Image:Linenger in Respirator.jpg|thumb|left|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''' or '''TGK''' is an oxygen generating system for spaceflight.<ref name=ellis>[https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/602090main_44s_international_life_support.pdf Kerry Ellis - '''International Life Support''' - Ask Magazine]</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'' 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/>

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==Vika on Mir==

[[Image:Linenger in Respirator.jpg|thumb|leftright|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>[https://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/>