Clearing the air from Apollo to Artemis, NASA tests new CO2 scrubber on space station

Expedition 68 flight engineer Nicole Mann works on the Four Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber (FBCO2), including the installation of Calnetix Technologies' Momentum In-Line Blower (seen floating at center) on the International Space Station, February 2023.

A new air filtration system featuring a first-of-its-kind, magnetic-bearing air blower has been installed on the International Space Station (ISS). The carbon dioxide scrubber not only advances the life support capabilities for the orbiting laboratory's crew, but may possibly benefit future astronauts on the moon and Mars as well.

California-based Calnetix Technologies announced on Thursday (April 13) that its high-speed blower system was deployed with NASA's Four Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber (FBCO2) that has been operating continuously on the space station for the past two months.