The criteria engineers needed to consider while solving the carbon dioxide problem include:
-
Effectiveness of Carbon Dioxide Filtration: The solution must filter out enough carbon dioxide from the air to keep three astronauts alive during the trip back to Earth.
-
Compatibility with Existing Systems: The astronauts might not survive the trip back to Earth because the carbon dioxide filters in the lunar module and the command module were different shapes, indicating the need for a solution that could be compatible with both systems.
-
Prototyping and Testing: A physical prototype of the solution must be built and tested, ensuring that it works effectively under real conditions.
-
Communication of Instructions: The instructions to build the solution must be clearly communicated to the astronauts to ensure they can effectively implement it when needed.
-
Material Constraints: Only the materials available to the astronauts on the spacecraft could be used in the solution, emphasizing the need for feasibility in component availability.
These criteria collectively address the functional, practical, and logistical aspects required to solve the carbon dioxide filtering problem for the astronauts.