CONTROLLED CONTAMINATION: A PRACTICAL APPROACH FOR DEVELOPING STERILIZATION PROCEDURES FOR SEALED COMPONENTS OF SPACECRAFT

Abstract

Deliberate contamination of components during manufacture appears both practical and feasible for developing sterilization procedures for spacecraft components. Thus, it is possible to determine whether normal manufacturing procedures are sufficient to sterilize or whether the sterilization procedures required (e.g., temperature-time intervals for dry heat) to sterilize can be accomplished without component damage. Methods are presented for controlled contamination with bacterial spores highly resistant to dry heat and bacteriologic recovery of such spores. Impregnated (e.g., with polybutylene) capacitors were rendered sterile during manufacture; nonimpregnated capacitors were not. Any damaging effects of heat sterilization might be increased if the components were subjected to further heating when installed in circuits of spacecraft instrumentations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1963
Accession Number
AD0437645

Entities

People

  • A. K. Miller
  • Bruce Mann
  • Henry Buchanan
  • Joseph T. Cordaro

Organizations

  • United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerospace Medicine
  • Capacitors
  • Filter Paper
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Manufacturing
  • Materials
  • Metal Films
  • Microorganisms
  • Paper
  • Performance Tests
  • Radiation
  • Resistance
  • Space Systems
  • Spacecraft
  • Spacecraft Components
  • Spores
  • Vehicles

Readers

  • Military/Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technology
  • Systems Analysis and Design
  • Thermal Physics or Thermal Science.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster