Regenerable Non-Venting Thermal Control Subsystem for Extravehicular Activity, 1986

With the advent of manned spacecraft opportunities requiring routine and complex extravehicular activities (EVA), a new concept for heat rejection is mandatory in order to realize maximum mission productivity. An optimum extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) thermal control subsystem must be capable of successful operation without requiring expendables or introducing contaminants into the environment, conform to reasonable size limitations, and be readily regenerable.

This paper describes the development of two thermal control subsystems, one capable of being integrated with the existing Shuttle Orbiter EMU to provide a three hour non-venting heat rejection capacity within the EMU mission profile, and a second capable of providing the entire heat rejection capacity required for a potential eight hour Space Station EVA.