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The outer cover layer of the spacesuit (the Thermal Micrometeoroid Garment or TMG) is designed to protect the inner layers and the astronaut from the hazards of the space environment. Providing this protection in the gloves becomes a human factors and materials design challenge. The gloves require more protection from hazards such as abrasion, puncture, and thermal conduction than the other parts of the suit due to the hand/tool interface as the astronaut works in space. At the same time, the TMG designer must also try to meet demanding human factors goals, such as minimizing fatigue, and maximizing tactility and gripping ability. This paper provides a general review of the glove TMG, including definitions of the glove and its functions, and details of the parameters that are considered when designing for protection and performance. Results of glove testing to determine the impact of the TMG on glove performance will be reported.

ILC Dover successfully designed and developed an advanced high pressure (8.3 psia) Spacesuit Glove for use on the space station. As an aide to fabrication of this glove, a feasibility study has been performed to use laser or photo optical, non contact scanning, CAD and CAM technologies. The current process for fabrication of spacesuit gloves starts by taking hand casts of a crewman's hands in one or more positions. The castings are subsequently measured by hand in critical areas, and a manual system of defining the glove bladder and glove restraint patterns follows. The proposed process will involve collecting dimensional data on hands using laser or photo optical scanning techniques. Key dimensions will be identified on a CAD system. Algorithms pre-programmed in the CAD system along with some CAD modeling will be used to manipulate the scanned data to define the glove bladder and glove restraint.

The NASA-developed space-suit configurations for Project Mercury and the Gemini Program originated from high-altitude-aircraft full-pressure-suit technology. These early suits lacked sophisticated mobility systems, since the suit served primarily as a backup system against the loss of cabin pressure and required limited pressurized intravehicular mobility functions for a return capability. Beginning with the Gemini Program, enhanced mobility systems were developed to enable crewmembers to perform useful tasks outside the spacecraft. The zero-prebreathe Hark III (ZPS Mk III) model of a higher operating pressure (57.2 kN/m2 (8.3 psi)) space-suit assembly represents a significant phase in the evolutionary development of a candidate operational space-suit system for the Space Station Program. The various design features and planned testing activities for the ZPS Mk III 57.2-kN/m2 (8.3 psi) space suit are described and identified.