European Space Suit Design Concept Verification

The technology development work carried out within the framework of the European EVA System predevelopment activities and complemented with additional analyses and trades have resulted in an improved technical reference concept for the preparation of the Phase C/D activities.

The results of the technology breadboard model testing have been used to verify or alter the overall space suit design concept. Hardware have been manufactured and tested in the areas of:

• Glove breadboard at the nominal suit pressure of 500 hPa
• Rolling convolute shoulder joint bending performance
• Thermal testing of arm Thermal Micrometeoroid Protection
• Elbow soft joint mechanical evaluation
• Seals and bearings performance as for torques and tightness
• Oxygen high pressure regulators/valves performance characteristics
• Sublimator heat removal and porous plate performance
• CO₂ removal performance in pure oxygen at lower pressures
• Integrated Fan-Pump-Separator
• Optimum design and crew comfort of bio-medial sensors
• Voice processing for optimized crew performance.

This paper presents an overview of the result of the EVA technology development programme and the implications on the reference concept. The latest design status of the European EVA System space suit concept in the frame of the predevelopment work for the European Space Agency (ESA) is also presented.