This novel ice chamber has the capability to simulate water sprays in vacuum for a wide variety of NASA applications by varying temperature, pressure, flowrate, and water chemistry. The project goals are to verify theoretical predictions of vacuum levels < 1E-06 Torr. The heat transfer, fluid mechanics, mass diffusion, and chemical processes of the water/high vacuum interface are key technical areas of interest.

The benefit to NASA is the ability to study the water spray freezing process in a lab, rather than having to travel to the vacuum of space. This will save cost and schedule for relevant science and engineering investigations. The future potential applications are varied: spacecraft that use water as a method of propulsion, science investigations of water at the South Pole of the Moon, human life support processes for water brine disposal, cooling of high heat flux electronics, and the understanding of ancient life and geological processes on other planets.