Air Liquide designs for the International Space Station

On behalf of the European Space Agency, Air Liquide has designed and manufactured a unique turbo machine for production of cold, which constitutes the active cooling part of MELFI.

MELFI (Minus Eighty Degrees Laboratory Freezer for the ISS) is a cryo-refrigerator for use on board the International Space Station (ISS) for freezing and storing biological samples and other research specimens at temperatures as low as – 95°C, before they are brought back to Earth.

Experts from the Advanced Technology Division of Air Liquide took up the challenge to adapt industrial equipment to manned space flights conditions. Thanks to this achievement and the reliability and performance of the system, NASA decided to extend the orbital lifetime of MELFI by five years. It was initially planned for two years.

François Darchis, senior vice-president, responsible for R&D, Technologies, Engineering and Construction, declared, $quot;With this new success on board the ISS, Air Liquide confirms its long term commitment to space-related activities by providing its high level of technology and innovation, a key growth driver for the group.$quot;