Decontamination of Space Equipment Using Cold Atmospheric Plasma

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a very effective technology for the inactivation of microorganisms, which is of crucial interest for extraterrestrial space missions. In our study, a new designed plasma-gas circulation system has been developed and tested. The investigations with bioindicators (Bacillus atrophaeus) show that this technology has a high sterilization effect. Therefore, several treatment volumes were tested to optimize the CAP efficacy. In addition, we plan to perform a series of measurements for chemical composition by using a FTIR spectrometer. This provides an insight into the plasma chemistry including the influence of the humidity on the inactivation of microorganisms. In this contribution, we propose a possible design of decontamination system for larger spacecraft facilities using CAP. Furthermore we will discuss the advantage of CAP technology in comparison with conventional sterilization methods.