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Lightweight/Low-Profile Spacesuit Bearings
Technical Paper
2007-01-3168
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
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English
Abstract
This paper describes the effort performed by Oceaneering Space Systems, Air-Lock, Inc., Raven Aerospace Technology, Inc., and David Clark Company, Inc. to develop lightweight and low-profile spacesuit bearings. Current spacesuit bearings constitute a significant portion of the spacesuit mass and reducing this weight will improve extravehicular activity (EVA) capabilities and reduce launch mass. Reducing the profile of the bearings will increase crew comfort in the suit on long duration missions.
The recommended concepts for the waist, scye (shoulder), arm, and wrist bearings share the same basic configuration to achieve weight reduction and a low profile with little technical risk. The bulk structural material is a lightweight carbon/epoxy composite. The bearing race material is 440C stainless steel for wear resistance and hardness. Many features of existing spacesuit bearings were retained to minimize technical risk. The full complement of waist, scye, arm, and wrist bearings will weigh 9.0 lbs, an 18.2 pound improvement over current extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) bearings.
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Citation
Fricker, J., Mancuso, D., Hedgecock, J., Patten, R. et al., "Lightweight/Low-Profile Spacesuit Bearings," SAE Technical Paper 2007-01-3168, 2007, https://doi.org/10.4271/2007-01-3168.Also In
References
- Catalog 300 Reali-Slim Ball & Roller Bearings Kaydon Corporation 2004
- Warren Young Roark's Formulas for Stress & Strain 6 New York McGraw-Hill, Inc.