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In applications that require space-suited crewmembers to traverse rough terrain, boot fit and mobility are of critical importance to the crewmember's overall performance capabilities. Current extravehicular activity (EVA) boot designs were developed for micro-gravity applications, and as such, incorporate only minimal mobility features. Recently three advanced space suit boot designs were evaluated at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Johnson Space Center (NASA/JSC). The three designs included: 1) a modified Space Shuttle suit (Extravehicular Mobility Unit or EMU) boot, 2) the Modified Experiment Boot designed and fabricated by RD & PE Zvezda JSC, and 3) a boot designed and fabricated by the David Clark Company. Descriptions of each configuration and rationale for each boot design are presented.

When humans visited the moon, the lunar rover provided an enabling resource that dramatically multiplied the scope of their exploration activities and science yield. Due to longer expected mission durations and Mars’ larger size and higher gravity, rovers will be even more crucial to effective human exploration. Unlike the Apollo program in which rovers were added part way through the program, rovers for Mars can be fully considered and integrated into the development of EVA systems at the outset. Research and mission studies of Mars exploration systems at HSSSI and elsewhere in recent years reflect this thinking. However, specifics have varied widely from small, EVA-assist rovers that are not ridden to large, pressurized rovers intended to support extended traverses over hundreds of kilometers.