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Dust mitigation has been identified as a major obstacle to lunar and Mars surface operations for space suits, robotics, and vehicle systems. Experience from the Apollo program has demonstrated that lunar stays of limited duration will be difficult and dangerous if dramatic measures are not taken to mitigate the impacts of dust contamination. Numerous mitigation approaches have been studied in the past including electrostatic materials, cleaning techniques, and suit-locks. Many of these approaches are effective in operation but are challenged by the trend of returning to a single space suit system, similar to Apollo, which is used for launch/entry as well as surface and contingency extra-vehicular activity (EVA) operations. Bringing the surface suit inside the vehicle after surface EVA will transfer surface material in the vehicle.

ILC Dover Inc. was awarded a three-year NRA grant for the development of innovative spacesuit pressure garment technology that will enable safer, more reliable, and effective human exploration of the space frontier. The research focused on the development of a high performance mobility/sizing actuation system for a spacesuit soft upper torso (SUT) pressure garment. This technology has application in two areas (1) repositioning the scye bearings to improve specific joint motion i.e. hammering (Figure 1), hand over hand translation (Figure 2), etc., and (2) as a suit sizing mechanism to allow easier suit entry and more accurate suit fit with fewer torso sizes than the existing EMU. This research was divided into three phases. In phases 1 and 2 SUT actuation technologies were developed and evaluated.

NASA's vision for Space Exploration includes a long term human presence on the surface of the moon and missions to Mars. In support of these missions, habitation structures will be developed to support operations in these challenging gravitational environments and maximize safety and comfort to the crew. One class of structures that is under study is expandable structures because of their mass and stowed volume efficiency. These structures follow the natural paradigm of exploration that has been observed for centuries. An expandable technology demonstration unit has been constructed and is being tested in the lunar analog environment of Antarctica, over several years. The habitat has yielded test data regarding transport and deployment, sensor integration, reconfigurability, habitability, performance in harsh environments, radiation shielding and dust mitigation. Data from these tests is being used by NASA to support lunar architecture studies.

This paper summarizes the development of multi-functional intelligent flexible materials for deployable space structures, otherwise known as the InFlex program. The goal of the work was to enhance the capabilities of inflatable structures for exploration activities such as habitats, airlocks, and space suits, with improved materials ultimately to reduce crew burden and lifecycle costs, improve system safety, and reduce system mass and launch volume. Several technical areas were investigated concurrently in an effort to combine functions and create efficient structures. These included self-healing materials, structural health monitoring systems, radiation protective materials, reduced permeability materials, anti-microbial materials, and embedded power generation and storage technologies. Methods of signal transfer were also studied in conjunction with a centralized display and warning system to interact with systems operations personnel.

As NASA is preparing to extend man's reach into space, it is expected that astronauts will be required to spend more and more time exposed to the hazards of performing Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA). One of these hazards includes the risk of the space suit bladder being penetrated by hypervelocity micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) particles. Therefore, it has become increasingly important to investigate new ways to improve the protectiveness of the current Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) against MMOD penetration. ILC Dover conducted a NASA funded study into identifying methods of improving the current EMU protection. The first part of this evaluation focused on identifying how to increase the EMU shielding, selecting materials to accomplish this, and testing these materials to determine the best lay-up combinations to integrate into the current thermal micrometeoroid garment (TMG) design.

The University of Maryland Space Systems Laboratory and ILC Dover LP have developed a novel concept: a soft pressure garment that can be dynamically reconfigured to tailor its shape properties to the wearer and the desired task set. This underlying concept has been applied to the upper torso of a rear entry suit, in which the helmet ring, waist ring and two shoulder rings make up a system of four interconnected parallel manipulators with tensile links. This configuration allows the dynamic control of both the position and orientation of each of the four rings, enabling modification of critical sizing dimensions such as the inter-scye distance, as well as task-specific orientations such as helmet, scye and waist bearing angles. Half-scale and full-scale experimental models as well as an analytical inverse kinematics model were used to examine the interconnectedness of the plates, the role of external forces generated by pressurized fabric, and the controllability of the system.

ILC Dover Inc. was awarded a three-year NRA grant for the development of innovative spacesuit pressure garment technology that will enable safer, more reliable, and effective manned exploration of the space frontier.

Effective helmet performance is a critical component to achieving safe and efficient missions along the entire timeline; from launch and entry events to operations in a micro-gravity environment to exploration of a planetary surface, the helmet system is the capstone of the pressurized space suit assembly. Each phase of a mission requires uncompromising protection in the form of a robust pressure vessel and adequate protection from impact, both interior and exterior, all while remaining relatively comfortable and providing excellent visual interaction with the environment. Historically there have been large voids between these critical characteristics with the primary focus concerning the pressure vessel first and impact protection and crew comfort second. ILC Dover, NASA-JSC, Gentex Corporation, and Hamilton Sundstrand formed an Integrated Product Team (IPT) and conducted a NASA funded study to research and evaluate new concepts in helmet design.