High-Pressure Gas Tanks
Two oxygen and two nitrogen High-Pressure Gas Tanks are attached externally to the airlock. These tanks provide a replenishable source of gas to the Atmosphere Control and Supply System and 900 psi (6.2 MPa) oxygen for recharging the space suits (EMUs).
Recharging the high pressure tanks was accomplished by the Space Shuttle fleet until its retirement. When an orbiter was docked to the station's Pressurized Mating Adapters (PMA-2 or PMA-3), oxygen was routed through pressure lines from the PMAs to the Quest airlock. The pumping of the oxygen from the docked spacecraft tanks into Quest's high-pressure tank was accomplished by the Oxygen Recharge Compressor Assembly (ORCA). After the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet, the Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) and spacecraft from the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program will take over this task.
Read more about this topic: Quest Joint Airlock
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