Defining Space Suit Operational Requirements for Lunar and Mars Missions and Assessing Alternative Architectures

Document Number: 2006-01-2290

Date Published: July 2006

Author(s):
David Klaus - Univ. of Colorado-Boulder
Matthew Bamsey - Univ. Of Colorado-Boulder
Michael Schuller - Texas A&M University
Olivier Godard - Texas A&M University
Frank Little - Texas A&M University
Ray Askew - Texas A&M University

Abstract:
Sending humans to the moon and Mars in support of NASA's Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) presents a variety of operational environments in which astronauts will need to wear a space suit, both inside the vehicle and during Extravehicular Activity (EVA). Four feasible suit architectures were proposed by NASA in terms of the number and type of suits needed to enable task performance in scenarios ranging from launch and entry operations to conducting EVA's in microgravity and on planetary surfaces. This study was aimed at defining space suit operational and functional needs across the spectrum of mission elements called out in the VSE, identifying temporal and technical design drivers, and establishing appropriate trade variables with associated weighting factors for analyzing the proposed architecture options. Recommendations from the analysis are offered for consideration in selecting from the four options.

File Size: 581K
Product Status: In Stock

See other papers presented at International Conference On Environmental Systems, July 2006, Norfolk, VA, USA, Session: EVA - Operations

Purchase more technical papers and save! With TechSelect, you decide what SAE Technical Papers you need, when you need them, and how much you want to pay. Learn more >