June 29, 2007 — NASA recently tested the first nanotechnology-based electronic device to fly in space. The test showed that the “nanosensor” could monitor trace gases inside a spaceship. This technology could lead to smaller, more capable environmental monitors and smoke detectors in future crew habitats.
NASA’s Nano ChemSensor Unit hitched a ride to Earth orbit on March 9, 2007, as a secondary payload experiment on the U.S. Naval Academy’s MidSTAR-1 satellite. The sensor test was powered on May 24.

The experiment sought to prove that sensors made of carbon nanotubes and coated with sensing materials could withstand the rigors of space flight. It also helped scientists learn how well a nanosensor could endure microgravity, heat, and cosmic radiation.

“The nanosensor worked successfully in space,” said Jing Li, a scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center and principal investigator for the test. “We demonstrated that nanosensors can survive in space conditions and the extreme vibrations and gravity change that occur during launch,” she said.

To conduct the test, nitrogen gas containingI20 parts per million of nitrogen dioxide was injected into a small chamber. The chamber also held a half-inch computer test chip withI32 nanosensors. The test measured the change in electricity passing through the nanosensors after theInitrogen dioxide and the sensing materials made contact.