ISS Gets New Refrigerators and a New Toilet
looorg writes:
The ISS is getting a new fridge. So they can keep their Tang chilled or possibly just get something that is more yummy than freeze-dried nutrients sucked thru a straw.
No rotating parts, radiation resistance and it can't blow heat out the back like a normal fridge but instead it is going to be hooked up to the existing ISS liquid cooling system.
https://www.colorado.edu/aerospace/2020/04/23/new-fridge-could-bring-real-ice-cream-space:
Officially called the Freezer Refrigerator Incubator Device for Galley and Experimentation, or FRIDGE, it is a far cry from the Amana or Frigidaire in your kitchen. Standard electronics don't fare well in space for a litany of reasons, with the fierce vibrations of launch and the higher radiation levels experienced once in orbit being primary culprits, so BioServe is designing specialized units.
[...] Compared to a regular refrigerator, FRIDGE is much smaller, roughly the size of a microwave oven, a requirement so it can fit into the pre-existing connections and rack housings aboard the space station.
[...] NASA has ordered eight FRIDGE units. Two will be used for astronaut food, and the remaining six will serve as home for active experiments that are temperature sensitive, or as storage for experiments either right before or after rocket transport to and from the ISS or aboard the station while awaiting active research.
Also covered at: engadget.
NASA's New $23 Million Space Toilet Arrives on ISS, Astronaut Shows How It Works in VideoRead more of this story at SoylentNews.