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TX06 — Life Support Systems (ECLSS): MCO Deep-Dive

Created: 2026-04-05 (session 27)

Summary

MCO's ECLSS portfolio is a 10-year program to evolve ISS life support into exploration-capable, closed-loop systems for the Moon and Mars. The ISS baseline closes the water loop at ~85% and the air loop partially (O₂ from CO₂ at ~50% recovery); exploration requires >90% water closure and >75% O₂ recovery — all without ground-based sample returns. The portfolio spans 8 active core technology projects, organized into three tracks: Atmosphere Management, Water Management, and Environmental Monitoring. A separate Bioregenerative track (Ohalo III) addresses food production.

Highest-viewed in MCO (all programs): AMCHX (157884) at 5,168 views — a condensing heat exchanger upgrade driven by siloxane contamination, classified under TX06.X but ML places it in TX14 thermal control.

ECLSS Loop Architecture

ECLSS Closed-Loop Cycle

The loop flows: cabin air → CO₂ Removal → CO₂ Reduction → methane (vented) + water → O₂ Generation → O₂ to crew; Humidity condensate + urine → water processing → potable water → crew. Three tracks: Atmosphere Management (purple), Water Management (blue), Environmental Monitoring (green).

Source: ECLSS Loop Closure Cycle diagram, attached to 93156, 93177, 93182.

Portfolio Overview

Project ID Track TRL Period Lead Views
CO₂ Removal 93177 Atm 5→6 2014–2030 MSFC 4,147
O₂ Gen & Recovery 93167 Atm 4→6 2014–2030 JSC 4,780
Exploration Sabatier 184079 Atm 4→7 2025–2028 MSFC 920
UWMS 93128 Water 7→8 2014–2029 JSC 5,619
AMCHX 157884 Water 5→9 2022–2030 JSC 5,168
UPA Upgrades 157885 Water 7→9 2018–2029 JSC 4,158
Wastewater/Brine 93182 Water 4→6 2014–2029 JSC 3,896
WPA Upgrades 157886 Water 6→9 2018–2029 JSC 3,273
Environmental Mon. 93156 Env 5→6 2014–2033 JSC 3,570
Ohalo III 97036 BioRegen 6→9 2019–2029 KSC 4,641

All 10 projects are MCO/ESDMD, all Active. JSC dominates (7/10); MSFC has atmosphere management and the new Sabatier project; KSC holds Ohalo III. Project starts cluster at FY2014 (the long-running "AES LSS" projects) with more recent additions from FY2018–2025.

Exploration Capability Gaps (ECLSS SCLT Baseline)

Per the NASA ECLSS System Leadership Capabilities Team (SCLT) gap table (2018 document, 93177):

Subsystem Gap Metric
CO₂ Removal Improved reliability ppCO₂ <2 mmHg (2600 ppm)
O₂ Recovery Recover from CO₂ >75% O₂ from CO₂
O₂ Generation Smaller, more maintainable —
High-P O₂ EVA replenishment 24.8 MPa (3600 psi)
Wastewater Recovery from urine >85% (ISS baseline)
Urine Brine Recovery from brine >90%
Waste Mgmt Low mass, universal UWMS form factor
Atm Monitoring In-flight major constituents No ground samples
Microbial Mon. Non-culture in-flight Species ID + quantification

All gaps worsen for planetary surface (partial-g changes fluid behavior; dormancy requirements add microbial risk).

Atmosphere Management Track

CO₂ Removal — 93177

MSFC, TRL 5→6, 2014–2030

Goal: ppCO₂ <2 mmHg (versus ISS SOA of <4 mmHg). HRP research shows CO₂ above 1.97 mmHg average correlates with crew-reported headaches.

Technologies under development: - CDRILS (Carbon Dioxide Removal by Ionic Liquids System): Ionic liquid sorbent for 2-crew scale CO₂ removal in cabin, rover, and spacesuit. Alternative to packed-bed zeolite adsorption. - CDep (CO₂ Cold Surface Deposition): Cold surface captures VOCs from the CO₂ stream, preventing fouling of downstream CO₂ reduction hardware.

Historical path (from 2018 doc): DGA (diglycolamine) liquid amines (CSELS ISS flight experiment 2017) → structured zeolite sorbent for drop-in 4-Bed CO₂ Scrubber replacement → current ionic liquid approach. The 2018 doc also covered Structured Sorbents using TSA with 13X zeolite; Catacel (Ravenna OH) was leading candidate.

Partner orgs: Giner Electrochemical (Newton MA), Portland State University, Precision Combustion (North Haven CT), JPL.

Counter-query: Has CDRILS advanced beyond benchtop? The description implies 2-crew scale demo is the goal — no evidence of ISS demonstration scheduled.

O₂ Generation and Recovery — 93167

JSC, TRL 4→6, 2014–2030

Multiple parallel approaches: - FLAMR (Flight-Like Advanced Materials Reactor): Methane pyrolysis to recover H₂ from CH₄, combine H₂ + CO₂ → water → electrolysis → O₂. Targets ~85% O₂ recovery from metabolic CO₂. Novel composite reactor design. - SVFE (Static Vapor Feed Electrolysis): Eliminates recirculation loop and phase separators from water feed electrolysis. Lower complexity, gravity-independent. - Medical O₂: High-flowrate, low-pressure O₂ for crew medical emergencies. ISS COTS concentrator + ventilator evaluated; flight demo may be needed. - Nitrogen Resupply: For cabin pressure control and EVA repressurization.

Giner Electrochemical Systems (Newton MA) is prime contractor for electrochemical systems. Honeywell International also involved.

Key structural challenge: ISS currently vents H₂ overboard from electrolysis. Closing that loop (Sabatier + PPA) is the path to >75% O₂ recovery. The three atmosphere projects ([93177], [93167], [184079]) must work as an integrated system.

Exploration Sabatier — 184079

MSFC, TRL 4→7, Oct 2025–Oct 2028 (New — started 6 months ago)

The Sabatier reaction: CO₂ + 4H₂ → CH₄ + 2H₂O. Water recovered from CO₂ is electrolyzed for O₂. ISS has a Sabatier reactor but it runs at ISS atmosphere pressure. Mars/lunar habitat at sub-ambient pressures requires a redesigned reactor.

Key difference from ISS: ExS must operate at exploration atmosphere pressures (sub-ambient, ~55–70 kPa goal for lunar/Martian habitats) and in enriched O₂ environments (unlike ISS). The enriched O₂ environment creates a fire/safety design challenge on top of the pressure challenge.

The 2018 document described a Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) as a CH₄ post-processor targeting ~90% O₂ recovery and SCOR (Bosch process) for 100% theoretical recovery. The ExS appears to be a focused effort on just the Sabatier step, which is the highest TRL component of the chain.

No library items yet (too early). Watch for EDU results 2026–2027.

Structural note: ExS TX mismatch — human classification: TX06 (life support), ML: TX07.1.3 (resource processing for consumables). Both are correct — this is life support infrastructure but uses ISRU-adjacent chemistry.

MOGA — Magnetohydrodynamic Oxygen Generation (Alternative Architecture)

182463 | Georgia Tech (NIAC Phase II/III) | TRL→4 | June 2025–June 2027 Discovered session 51; updated session 54 (2026-04-06)

The ISS OGA uses forced recirculation pumps for gas-liquid separation in water electrolysis — in microgravity, O₂ and H₂ bubbles don't rise naturally, so pumps must move fluid to separate gas from the electrode. This is the OGA's main reliability failure mode.

MOGA approach: Apply magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) forces directly to the conducting electrolyte to move bubbles without pumps or centrifuges. The fluid becomes its own pump via electromagnetic body forces.

Phase I result: Demonstrated basic feasibility; published peer-reviewed paper. Phase II goal: long-term behavior, transient modes (startup/shutdown/dormancy), manufacturability improvements. Flies at ZARM Drop Tower (Bremen) and DLR — free to NASA (German partner funding).

Claimed advantages vs. ISS OGA for Mars (4-crew transfer mission): - 32.9% mass reduction - 20.4% astronaut maintenance time savings - No pumps → reduced failure modes - Wider operational temperature + humidity range - Minimal electrolyte leaching risk - Modular component swap-ability

Still NIAC Phase II/III (TRL 3→4 target) — early stage. But the German partnership (ZARM + DLR, zero cost to NASA) is unusual and signals serious European interest in the technology. The Nature Chemistry paper (2025) "Magnetically induced convection enhances water electrolysis in microgravity" signals the approach has survived peer review — rare for a NIAC-stage concept. If confirmed at drop tower, could become a GCD candidate for Mars O₂ generation.

Sources: get_project(182463) live, 2026-04-06; NIAC page library links confirmed Nature Chemistry publication (session 54).

Water Management Track

UWMS — 93128

JSC, TRL 7→8, 2014–2029 | 5,619 views

ISS demonstration unit already delivered and operating. A "universal" toilet redesign (lower mass, lower volume, urine pretreatment for downstream water recovery).

Current issues (as of Dec 2025 TechPort update): 1. Failure to dispense urine pretreatment during use 2. Excessive noise from separator 3. Loss of controller function

The pretreat dose pump was redesigned with improved valves and conductivity sensor → spun off into Exploration Toilet Dose Pump [183792] (MSFC, TRL 5→7, Nov 2024–Sep 2027). Vendor struggling to deliver for "scheduled launch in early 2026." The noise from separator driving additional design work.

Interesting split: UWMS is JSC-led (toilet system); dose pump improvement is MSFC-led — unusual for a sub-component spinoff to cross centers. MSFC's ECLSS Development & Test Facilities are the qualification site.

Organizations: Advanced Fuel Research (East Hartford CT), Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International.

AMCHX — 157884

JSC, TRL 5→9, 2022–2030 | 5,168 views (highest in MCO)

Condensing Heat Exchangers (CHX) collect humidity from cabin air. ISS CHX suffers from siloxane → DMSD conversion that shifts the coating from hydrophilic to hydrophobic — degrading moisture collection. Once rejuvenated, a second rejuvenation is impractical (too expensive, possibly not feasible).

Solution: Additively Manufactured CHX (AMCHX) with an upgraded coating resistant to siloxanes and microbial growth, plus smaller volume. Collins Aerospace contractor (same company operates the existing ISS hardware). Boeing also involved.

Current status: "Expected to be launched to ISS in 2028." Project has encountered issues with metal powder and fusion of weld layers in additive manufacturing. Target 9 is very aggressive from current TRL 5.

Why highest view count? The DMSD contamination problem cascades: DMSD from siloxanes in cabin air enters the condensate, passes through WPA, degrades MF Bed and Cat Reactor, shortens hardware life. The CHX is the entry point where siloxanes get into the water loop — fixing it has system-wide benefits. This connects directly to WPA Upgrades (157886).

TX mismatch: Human=TX06.X (ECLSS), ML=TX14.2.3 (Thermal Control). This IS thermal control hardware — AMCHX is correctly in the TX14 domain by engineering function, but assigned TX06 due to life support program ownership.

WPA Upgrades — 157886

JSC, TRL 6→9, 2018–2029

Boeing prime, Collins Aerospace subcontractor.

Catalytic Reactor upgrade: FAILED on ISS. The Cat Reactor ORU leaks through elastomeric seals in the hot section. Redesign used metal seals + improved catalyst. Two DTO attempts: - DTO 1: Failed after ~10 days (seal leak) - DTO 2 (SpX-28, June 2023): Not installed until May 2024 (waiting for legacy sparing). Failed after 8 days (same seal leak mode)

Decision: de-scoped from ISS flight. Due to ISS nearing end of mission, upgraded reactor will be tested in the Integrated ECLSS Ground Testbed only. The ISS water processor will continue using the legacy design for the remainder of ISS life.

MF Bed upgrade: Succeeded. New synthetic charcoal (better DMSD capacity), IRN-67 removed (was leaching into EMU sublimator), reconfigured to 1 MF Bed in series (was 2) for better monitoring.

Solenoid valve (replacing non-functional Microbial Check Valve): Ongoing. Protects potable water from grey water backflow; simplifies dormancy.

Urine Processor Assembly Upgrades — 157885

JSC, TRL 7→9, 2018–2028 | 4,162 views

Upgraded Distillation Assembly

The upgraded UPA Distillation Assembly flight unit — stainless steel cylinder with multiple quick-disconnect fittings.

Multiple sub-projects in varying stages of completion. Three project managers (Ridley, Hornyak, Toon) — unusual for one project; reflects the multi-track nature.

Distillation Assembly (DA) upgrade — SUCCEEDED: - Redesigned bearing material, reduced leak path, upgraded toothed gear belt - Installed on ISS 2020-09-10; operating at 350% of legacy expected lifespan (as of Dec 2025) - This is the primary reliability win — fewer DA spares needed for exploration missions

Purge Pump and Separator Assembly (PPSA) — FAILED first ISS flight: - Redesign of the legacy Pressure Control and Pump Assembly (PCPA) ORU + Separator and Plumbing Assembly (SPA) ORU - Goal: smaller, more efficient, individually-maintainable components - Flew to ISS July 2023 → removed Oct 2023 after inability to reduce pressure - TT&E (Teardown, Test & Evaluation) revealed a valve design flaw within PPSA - Redesigned valve → PPSA scheduled to re-fly in 2026 - This is a hardware failure with known root cause and fix in progress

Other sub-developments (ground demo only): - ARTFA (Advanced Recycle Tank Filter Assembly) quantity sensor - SCFP (Single-Channel Fluids Pump): Tested in Integrated ECLSS Ground Testbed; demonstrates back-flush capability for the UPA — critical for exploration dormancy operations (stagnant urine concentrate fouls the system) - Conductivity sensors

Why TRL 7 despite ISS ops failures? TRL 7 = system prototype demonstrated in space environment. The DA upgrade counts; the PPSA failure doesn't reset TRL — it's a development issue.

ML mismatch: Human=TX06.1.2 (Water Recovery), ML predicts TX12.1.6 (Materials for Power). Pump/motor components likely triggered the ML prediction; this is a false positive.

Wastewater Processing and Water Management — 93182

JSC, TRL 4→6, 2014–2029 | 3,896 views

Water Recovery Cycle

The water recovery cycle: wastewater storage → wastewater stabilization → primary/secondary treatment → brine water recovery → post processing → disinfection → potable water storage → crew → wastewater.

Current focus (as of 2025 TechPort): - Silver biocide: Passive silver ion-releasing foam + 3D-printed silver-infused sorbent for water disinfection. Silver (<500 μg/L) kills bacteria; doesn't need to be removed before crew consumption (unlike ISS iodine, which requires a removal step). - Biofilm mitigations: UV, flushing, aeration, nutrient filtration for nominal operations and dormancy. - Iodine removal (hot side): Technology to remove iodine from the hot side of the Potable Water System (the side that doesn't currently have an iodine removal step).

BPA (Brine Processor Assembly) — SUGGESTIVELY RESOLVED (session 29):

The BPA is a Paragon Space Development Corp Ionomer-membrane Water Processor for recovering water from urine brine. Development lineage: - Phase I (9158, SBIR, 2011, TRL 2→3): Ionomer membrane feasibility - Phase II (9643, SBIR, 2012–2014, TRL 3→5): IWP system design + EDU demonstration - Flight hardware: NASA/Boeing BPA — the "completed BPA" hardware image (file 387813) shows a finished unit with the "Detrusor" ionomer membrane assembly installed.

BPA Completed Hardware

"Detrusor Installed in the Completed BPA" — the BPA flight unit showing the ionomer membrane array open for inspection. Hardware is approximately suitcase-sized.

Evidence the BPA was successful: A 2019 SBIR proposal from Paragon for STOOLE (102027) describes "our successful, NASA and Boeing Brine Processor Assembly (BPA)" — past tense, treating BPA as a completed prior achievement. Early 2018 tests demonstrated 54–63% water recovery by volume (target: >40%).

Current [93182] description: Focuses on silver biocide + biofilm mitigations — no BPA mention. This is consistent with BPA being handed to ISS operations (completing the technology development phase), while [93182] moves on to next-generation challenges.

Assessment: BPA was completed as hardware and likely launched ~2019–2020. TechPort shows no ISS operational status (not a TechPort scope item), so exact flight date and operational status cannot be confirmed. Confidence: suggestive. The exploration-class successor is the Wastewater Processing project (93182) continuing as a broader platform for next water recovery technologies.

Partner orgs: Paragon Space Development Corp (Tucson AZ), Texas Tech University (bioreactor work), University of South Florida.

Environmental Monitoring Track

Environmental Monitoring — 93156

JSC, TRL 5→6, 2014–2033 (longest timeline: 19 years!) | 3,570 views

The gap: ISS currently returns samples to Earth for analysis. Exploration missions cannot do this. Five technology areas:

Technology Goal Status
SAM (Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor) GC/MS for major constituents + trace VOCs; 6× smaller than ISS, 2× less power (22.2×24.1×19.1 cm, 9.5 kg) Planned ISS demo FY2019 per 2018 doc; likely flew
MiniTOCA Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (small form factor), UV oxidation + tunable laser CO₂ spectrometer TRL 4–5 est.; target ISS demo "next decade" per 2018 doc
MinION Oxford Nanopore DNA sequencing for microbial monitoring of surfaces and water; real-time species ID Active; Powerblade sample prep automation under development
SWIM Spacecraft Water Impurities Monitor for organic and inorganic impurities In development
Particulate Monitor Aerosol sensor suite: passive samples + aerosol size/type detection + siloxane detection ISS Stage I re-flight FY2019; Stage II FY2020 per 2018 doc
PTLS Portable Tunable Laser Spectrometer: CO₂/O₂/H₂O sensor network at ppm sensitivity; spatiotemporal cabin mapping Under development

MinION is notable: Oxford Nanopore is a commercial nanopore DNA sequencer designed for point-of-care diagnostics. Adapting it for space microbial monitoring is a significant technology transfer. The ISS analog (RAZOR from BioFire Defense, a PCR device) has been flying since 2017. MinION provides real-time sequencing vs PCR's target-specific approach.

SAM: JPL-built (Stojan Madzunkov as PM contact is JPL). Two "AES Success Story" PDFs attached (file IDs 388975, 388976 — not read this session).

Project ends 2033 — reflects the long timeline to ISS demos and eventual exploration certification.

Bioregenerative Track

Ohalo III — 97036

KSC, TRL 6→9, Mar 2019–Sep 2029 | 4,641 views

Ohalo III Engineering Development Unit

The Ohalo III EDU at KSC: dual-chamber EXPRESS rack with LED grow lights (pink/purple spectrum).

"Ohalo" is a prehistoric human settlement site in Israel (~23,000 BCE) associated with early evidence of grain harvesting — KSC named the project appropriately.

Status: TRL 6 since at least 2019 (began at 6, no recorded advancement). Target launch to ISS: no earlier than August 2026 (updated in TechPort March 16, 2026 — this is new scheduling information not previously in TechPort). Target TRL 9 by 2029.

Hardware: One growth chamber in an EXPRESS rack. Dual-chamber EDU shown in image. Removable/customizable light cap; control system; structural containment. Designed for pick-and-eat crops (lettuce, radishes, etc.).

Mission scope: Not just growing food — validating water delivery systems, volume optimization, crop production operations, resource consumption, waste production, and system reliability at operational scale. Serves as prototype for the Mars Transit Vehicle crop production system.

Evolvable elements planned: seed delivery, plant health sensors, food safety monitoring, robotics/automation for selected tasks.

PI: Gioia D Massa (KSC) — the same scientist who led the VEGGIE program (the earlier KSC plant growth chamber on ISS that grew the first lettuce eaten in space in 2015).

Previous hardware: The image title mentions "Ohalo/URRM System" — URRM acronym unresolved in this session. May be an acronym for a urine-recycling or water-recycling subsystem integration.

Why TRL 6 stuck: Building and testing the EDU is TRL 6 (system/subsystem prototype demo in relevant environment = ground testing at KSC). TRL 7 requires ISS demonstration. The ISS launch slot is the binding constraint.

Related: Bioregenerative Life Support Systems [157839] (KSC, TRL 5→7, 2022–) is a separate, likely more theoretical project on bioregenerative ECLSS integration for missions >120 days.

Key Technology Themes and Cross-Cutting Observations

The DMSD Problem

Siloxane compounds (from crew hygiene products, plastics off-gassing) enter cabin air → condensed in CHX → enter water loop → catalytically converted to DMSD (dimethylsilanediol) → degrades WPA MF Bed and Cat Reactor. Three projects address this cascade: 1. AMCHX (157884) — prevent entry at condensation point 2. WPA MF Bed Upgrade (157886) — better DMSD-capacity sorbent 3. WPA Cat Reactor Upgrade (157886) — failed on ISS; de-scoped

The Cat Reactor ISS failure is significant: the fundamental seal challenge (elastomeric → metal) was not resolved in the redesign. The system will reach ISS end-of-life without a proven Cat Reactor upgrade. The exploration system (Gateway, lunar surface hab) will need to solve this.

The O₂ Loop Closure Challenge

Current ISS: ~50% O₂ recovery. Exploration target: >75%. The gap requires: - Better CO₂ removal (ionic liquids, 93177) - Sabatier at exploration pressures (184079) - PPA/plasma pyrolysis for CH₄ post-processing (mentioned in 2018 doc; no current active TechPort project found for PPA specifically)

The Exploration Sabatier (184079) started Oct 2025 at TRL 4 targeting TRL 7 by 2028. This is an aggressive timeline for a new project addressing a sub-ambient pressure challenge.

TRL Advancement Rates

The long-running projects (2014 start) have advanced slowly: - O₂ Gen [93167]: TRL 2→4 in ~11 years (target 6 by 2030) - Wastewater [93182]: TRL 3→4 in ~11 years (target 6 by 2029) - CO₂ Removal [93177]: TRL 4→5 in ~11 years (target 6 by 2030) - Environmental Monitoring [93156]: TRL 1→5 in ~11 years (target 6 by 2033)

These rates are consistent with government-funded exploration technology programs doing foundational R&D — but the gap between current TRL and Artemis/exploration timelines is stark. Gateway CDR was planned for mid-2020s with TRL requirements that these projects are still working toward.

Contractors

Key industry partners across the ECLSS portfolio: - Collins Aerospace (Cedar Rapids IA): WPA Cat Reactor, AMCHX, UWMS dose pump legacy — the ISS water systems integrator - Boeing (Chicago): WPA prime contractor - Paragon Space Development Corp (Tucson AZ): Brine Processor Assembly, IWP technology - Giner Electrochemical Systems (Newton MA): Water electrolysis for O₂ gen - Oxford Nanopore Technologies: MinION DNA sequencer (commercial adaptation)

Open Threads

  1. ~~PPA/plasma pyrolysis status~~ RESOLVED (session 28): SCOR GCD ran two sequential phases: MSFC SCOR (116309, 2014–2017, TRL 3→5, Bosch + Methane Pyrolysis) and JSC SCOR (17550, 2017–2023, TRL 3→5). Both Completed at TRL 5. No active successor project found. The current methane pyrolysis thread lives inside O₂ Gen [93167] as FLAMR (catalytic/thermal, not plasma). Gap confirmed: PPA/Bosch at TRL 5 with no GCD follow-on. The exploration Sabatier [184079] addresses only the Sabatier step. Full O₂ loop closure (>75% recovery) has no active TechPort project taking post-Sabatier methane processing beyond TRL 5.
  2. ~~BPA fate~~ SUGGESTIVELY RESOLVED (session 29): BPA completed as flight hardware (photo confirms "Completed BPA" with Detrusor installed). STOOLE 2019 SBIR calls it "successful, NASA and Boeing BPA." [93182] description shifted to next-gen (silver biocide/biofilm), consistent with BPA entering ISS ops. Likely launched ~2019–2020; ISS operational status unconfirmed from TechPort data. Confidence: suggestive.
  3. ~~SAM ISS demo~~ PARTIALLY RESOLVED (session 28): File 388975 = MEMS-GC success story (Cbana Labs + JPL, pre-ISS delivery language). File 388976 = Aerosol Sampler success story (GRC + RJ Lee Group, launched OA-5 ~2016). These are component deliveries, not the full SAM integration flight. SAM full assembly ISS demo status remains unclear from available TechPort documents.
  4. ~~UPA Upgrades detail~~ RESOLVED (session 29): DA upgrade flying on ISS since Sept 2020, 350% of legacy lifespan. PPSA flew July 2023, removed Oct 2023 (valve design flaw), redesigned, scheduled to re-fly 2026. SCFP demonstrating dormancy back-flush in ground testbed. Full detail added to section above.
  5. Bioregenerative Life Support [157839]: Relationship to Ohalo III — is this the theoretical/modeling component while Ohalo III is the hardware?
  6. URRM acronym in Ohalo III library item title — unresolved.
  7. Cat Reactor long-term plan: If failed on ISS, what's the exploration path? New GCD project likely needed.