Space Station EVA Using a Maneuvering Enclosure Unit

As the missions of the Space Station expand in the servicing and maintenance areas, the potential for long duration and repetitive EVA increases. This increased EVA potential motivates consideration of advanced EVA enclosure concepts. This paper discusses a concept for an EVA enclosure which combines features of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) and the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) and incorporates aspects of robotic technology. The pros and cons of using such a unit as well as design and development considerations are discussed.