scope:

Description of Driving Event:

During the STS-90 flight, one of the experiment habitats located in the shuttle Middeck area experienced a mild over-temperature condition. Post-flight evaluations revealed that the habitat's air inlet filter was partially clogged restricting airflow into the cooling system. Human hair, lint, and miscellaneous debris clogged the filter.

Further investigation revealed that many air filters in the Middeck area are similarly blocked and that most payload developers count on the crew to perform daily cleaning of these filters. In order to minimize the impact of the debris and to allow for proper airflow, several design considerations were identified.