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The Constellation Program must develop a space suit system that will meet the new requirements for crew survival functions, microgravity intravehicular and extravehicular activities, and lunar surface exploration. This paper summarizes recent work on the NASA Constellation Space Suit Element Pressure Garment and Crew Survival Subsystem (PG/CS). The PG/CS team has emphasized the areas of feasibility studies toward PG/CS architecture definition and risk mitigation. Representative examples of these efforts are discussed below. Forward work is also presented.

During the first two weeks of September, 2006, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) Advanced Extra Vehicular Activity (AEVA) team led the field test portion of the 2006 Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS) in the Flagstaff, AZ area. The Desert RATS field test activity is the year-long culmination of various individual science and advanced engineering discipline areas’ technology and operations development efforts into a coordinated field test demonstration under representative (analog) planetary surface terrain conditions. The 2006 Desert RATS was the ninth RATS field test and was the largest, most systems-oriented, integrated field test to date with participants from seven NASA field centers, three industry partners, and two research organizations. Each week of the test, RATS addressed specific sets of objectives. The first week of field testing focused on Lunar surface science and in-situ resource utilization tasks.

Procedures for rapid microbiological analysis were performed during simulated surface extra-vehicular activity (EVA) at Meteor Crater, Arizona. The fully suited operator swabbed rock (‘unknown’ sample), spacesuit glove (contamination control) and air (negative control). Each swab sample was analyzed for lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and β-1, 3-glucan within 10 minutes by the handheld LOCAD PTS instrument, scheduled for flight to ISS on space shuttle STS-116. This simulated a rapid and preliminary ‘life detection’ test (with contamination control) that a human could perform on Mars. Eight techniques were also evaluated for their ability to clean and remove LPS and β-1, 3-glucan from five surface materials of the EVA Mobility Unit (EMU). While chemical/mechanical techniques were effective at cleaning smooth surfaces (e.g. RTV silicon), they were less so with porous fabrics (e.g. TMG gauntlet).

This paper presents results of advanced airlock concept studies conducted at the NASA Johnson Space Center in support of exploration surface systems, such as lunar lander airlocks and other advanced vehicle airlocks. The studies include preliminary requirements for advanced airlocks, and rationale for using the rear-entry space suit as the basic advanced suit design to be accommodated by the airlocks. The studies also present rationale for minimum volume airlocks and gas reclamation methods needed for long duration missions. Another study shows conceptual designs for single person airlocks, dual person airlocks, and multi-person airlocks, along with associated benefits and disadvantages of each. A test and selection methodology is also discussed for future airlock development.

With a renewed focus on manned exploration, NASA is beginning to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead. Future manned missions will require a symbiosis of human and robotic infrastructure. As a step towards understanding the roles of humans and robots in future planetary exploration, NASA headquarters funded ILC Dover and the University of Maryland to perform research in the area of human and robotic interfaces. The research focused on development and testing of communication components, robotic command and control interfaces, electronic displays, EVA navigation software and hardware, and EVA lighting. The funded research was a 12-month effort culminating in a field test with NASA personnel.

Since the early 1980’s, the Shuttle Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) glove design has evolved to meet the challenge of space based tasks. These tasks have typically been satellite retrieval and repair or EVA based flight experiments. With the start of the International Space Station (ISS) assembly, the number of EVA based missions is increasing far beyond what has been required in the past; this has commonly been referred to as the “Wall of EVA’s”. To meet this challenge, it was determined that the evolution of the current glove design would not meet future mission objectives. Instead, a revolution in glove design was needed to create a high performance tool that would effectively increase crewmember mission efficiency. The results of this effort have led to the design, certification and implementation of the Phase VI EVA glove into the Shuttle flight program.

The first ever Astronaut - Rover (ASRO) Interaction Field Test was conducted successfully on February 22-27, 1999, in Silver Lake, Mojave Desert, California in a representative surface terrain. This test was a joint effort between the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California and the NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas to investigate the interaction between humans and robotic rovers for potential future planetary surface exploration. As prototype advanced planetary surface space suit and rover technologies are being developed for human planetary surface exploration, it is desirable to better understand the interaction and potential benefits of an Extravehiclar Activity (EVA) crewmember interacting with a robotic rover. This interaction between an EVA astronaut and a robotic rover is seen as complementary and can greatly enhance the productivity and safety of surface excursions.

Advanced space suit mobility studies were successfully conducted during the period of May 2-17, 1998, under representative Lunar and Mars-like terrain conditions at remote field site locations in the Flagstaff, Arizona, area. The sites visited included Cinder Lake, a volcanic ash area that was an actual Apollo-era test site with simulated craters developed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS); SP Mountain, an area that contained a young lava field with extensive rock rubble; Grand Falls, a canyon area that contained a variety of rock outcroppings, volcanic ash, and rock rubble; and Meteor Crater, a young impact crater area that contained various slopes with loose rock rubble. The test activities were supported by a team of JSC personnel utilizing the MK III advanced space suit technology demonstrator suit and a NASA modified commercial liquid air backpack system. The suit test subject was Dr. Dean Eppler, a trained field geologist.

Future human exploration missions to the Moon and Mars as envisioned and being planned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will involve extensive extravehicular activities (EVA's) on these planetary bodies. It will be necessary for crewmembers to don protective space suit assemblies in order to work and conduct scientific exploration activities in the harsh Lunar and Martian environments. Of prime concern is the requirement for providing the necessary and appropriate mobility features for a pressurized space suit while maintaining efficient levels of effort and relative comfort to the crewmembers during extensive periods of EVA's. A series of KC-135 aircraft reduced gravity flight demonstrations were conducted to evaluate general mobility performance characteristics of the Apollo, Shuttle and Mk III advanced technology model space suits in simulated Lunar (1/6 Earth) and Mars (0.37 Earth) gravity environments.