Design Considerations for Future Planetary Space Suits

901428

07/01/1990

Event
International Conference On Environmental Systems
Authors Abstract
Content
Manned extravehicular activity (EVA) operations will be major mission elements of planned future U.S. space operations. Whether designed for orbital operations or planetary surface exploration, the EVA system must be safe and reliable, and must provide a high degree of performance capabilities. An extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) consisting of a space suit, EVA gloves, and a portable life support system (PLSS) is central to the EVA system. A rugged, highly reliable, mobile, reusable, and easily maintained EVA suit and compact PLSS must meet the specific requirements of the intended mission. Additional requirements imposed by exposure to surface and gravitational environments are the need for lightweight, high-strength materials for fabricating EMU's to prevent astronaut fatigue and the need for dust protection measures and removal techniques to prevent contamination. Also, operational pressure for habitats should be chosen so as to maintain zero-prebreathe conditions while allowing for lower EMU operating pressure.
Meta TagsDetails
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4271/901428
Pages
12
Citation
Kosmo, J., "Design Considerations for Future Planetary Space Suits," SAE Technical Paper 901428, 1990, https://doi.org/10.4271/901428.
Additional Details
Publisher
Published
Jul 1, 1990
Product Code
901428
Content Type
Technical Paper
Language
English