Design of Extended Range EVA PLSS Systems: Lessons From Terrestrial Exploration Missions.
Design of Extended Range EVA PLSS Systems: Lessons From
Terrestrial Exploration Missions.
(1218 K)
Stone, W. C.
Space Manufacturing, 12th Conference. Proceedings.
Space Studies Institute. May 8-11, 1997, Princeton, NJ,
1997.
Keywords:
construction; maintenance; space stations; space suits;
life support systems; survival; systems failure;
probability; systems analysis
Abstract:
As plans progress for construction and maintenance of
the international space station and, more importantly,
private missions to LEO and beyond become viable,
serious thought will need to be given to re-engineering
EVA (space suit) systems to achieve greater range and
reliability at dramatically reduced cost. This paper
discusses alternative architectures for fully closed
cycle portable life support systems (PLSS) that have
been built and tested over the last decade for use in
hazardous subaquatic environments. Fault tolerant
design, both for the mechanical and computational
hardware elements, was employed in the development of
four generations of prototype devices. The culmination
of these designs was successfully used to explore a 600
meter long underwater tunnel which began at a depth of
1353 meters vertically beneath the surface of the earth
in southern Mexico. Lessons relating to survival and
range enhancement on orbital and lunar EVA missions are
presented.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899