Clara Venture Labs supplies hydrophobic filters to NASA’s Artemis-1 spacecraft

Bergen, Norway – November 16 – 2022 – The most powerful rocket NASA has ever built, Artemis 1, was launched November 16 and is now on an uncrewed Moon-orbiting mission. Clara Venture Labs is proud supplier of the hydrophobic filters that are fitted in the European Service Module delivered by ESA.

NASA bilde

The European Service Module is the spacecraft’s powerhouse that will supply electricity, propulsion, thermal control air and water to the spacecraft. Clara Venture Labs' hydrophobic filters are installed in the water supply system to ensure safe water supply to the crew that will be onboard on NASA’s next mission with Artemis II.

ORION - Space Craft

Øyvind Torvanger, Project Manager

"On Earth, gravity pushes water out of a tap, but this doesn’t work in space.

Nitrogen gas under pressure is used to push the water. However, the water must not enter the gas system. To keep H2O and N2 separate, our filters stop water but let through nitrogen", says Øyvind Torvanger, Project Manager

Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate NASA’s capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond prior to the first flight with crew on Artemis II.

Clara Venture Labs has developed the hydrophobic filters from concept and design to production and testing.

Contributors to the development and production of the hydrophobic filters: Kjersti Wergeland Krakhella, Bjørn Erik Akselsen, Dag Holm, Øyvind Torvanger, Trygve Sognæs, Bjarte Solheim, Björn Svensson, Tor Monsen. Not on the picture: Amund Utne, Marian Melle, Øyvind Merl Olsen

Michelle Williams, CEO at Clara Venture Labs

"It's exciting to contribute to this important mission. And the unique competence we gain in such a high-tech space project is of great value also for our development of sustainable innovations for land and sea", says Michelle Williams.

Clara Venture Labs focuses on the development of sustainable technologies, and leverages on the unique competence gained in high-tech space projects for the development of sustainable innovations on earth.

Space activities have an important role to play in the protection of our planet. Clara Venture Labs develops highly efficient energy solutions for space, that also have usage here on Earth in driving the green shift. The company’s Regenerative Fuel Cell Systems have applications in Earth based long-term energy storage systems – a technology that can facilitate better use of intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and sun.

Clara Venture Labs has supplied parts for the space-storm hunter ASIM that is flying outside the International Space Station as well as ESA’s dark Universe explorer Euclid.