Z series space suits

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The Z-1 is the first Z prototype suit constructed. Z-1 Spacesuit Prototype - standing Nov 2012.jpg
The Z-1 is the first Z prototype suit constructed.

The Z series [1] is a series of prototype extra-vehicular activity (EVA) space suits being developed in the Advanced Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AEMU) project under NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program. The suits are being designed to be used for both micro-gravity and planetary EVAs.

Contents

Along with a NASA designed life support system, the new higher pressure Z suits allow for bypassing pre-breathe and allows for quick donning of the suit and exit of the space craft. The Z-1 is the first suit to be successfully integrated into a suitport dock mechanism eliminating the need for an air lock, and reducing the consumable demands on long term missions. A later variant is planned to be tested on the International Space Station in 2017. [2]

Versions

Z-1

The Z-1 suit consists of a soft upper torso, soft lower torso, glove assembly, boot assembly and hemispherical dome helmet. [1] Z-1 is called a "soft" suit because when unpressurized its primary structures are pliable fabrics, although it does have several hard mobility elements. [1] The suit has a mass of 126 pounds (57 kg), with the suitport interface plate (SIP) it is 154 pounds (70 kg), and with the SIP and portable life support system (PLSS) mock-up it is 162 pounds (73 kg). [1] [3]

The Z-1 prototype was designed and built by ILC Dover for NASA. [4] The Z-1 was named one of Time magazine's Best inventions of the year for 2012. [5] Because of its unique neon green colored stripes on the arms and legs, the suit has entered popular culture as the "Buzz Lightyear Suit" for sharing the color worn by the character in the Pixar movie Toy Story. [6]

NASA has been running a series of tests on the Z-1. According to a NASA report there have been two parts of the testing 1) characterize the suit performance to down selection of components for the planned Z -2 Space Suit and 2) "develop interfaces with the suitport and exploration vehicles through pressurized suit evaluations." [7]

Z-2

NASA Z-2 spacesuit prototype NASA Z-2 spacesuit prototype.jpg
NASA Z-2 spacesuit prototype

Both ILC Dover and David Clark competed for the $4.4 million contract to design, manufacture and test the Z-2 prototype space suit. [8] [9] In April 2013, it was announced that ILC Dover had won; the contract is expected to last for an 18-month period. [9]

The Z-2 will use a non-autoclave hard composite upper torso; [10] it is believed this will improve its long-term durability. [11] The design of the shoulder and hip has been improved based on Z-1 testing. [11] The Z-2 will use higher fidelity boots along with materials that are compatible with a full vacuum environment. [11] The suit is expected to have a mass of 143 pounds (65 kg). [8] The Z-2 will be designed to interface with NASA's advanced portable life support system, currently under development at the Johnson Space Center. [9] The suit will also be designed to interface with both classical air locks and suit ports. [9]

The Z-2 prototype suit was expected to be delivered to NASA by November 2014 with a technology readiness level of 7 [11] [12] [13] but was delayed until spring 2015. [14] Final delivery and testing in a human-rated vacuum chamber and the Neutral Buoyancy Lab is expected in 2018-2019. [14] This is leading up to a human-rated thermal/vacuum chamber test of the suit with its PLSS in 2020. [12]

Portable life support system

Rendering of a developmental version of the PLSS Advanced EMU PLSS.jpg
Rendering of a developmental version of the PLSS

The Next Generation Life Support (NGLS) project is developing components that are planned to be part of the portable life support system (PLSS). Two of those components are the Variable Oxygen Regulator (VOR) and the Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) swing bed.

The VOR is expected to allow the suit pressure to be adjusted to 84 settings between 0 and 8.4 psid. [15] The current Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) only has two pressure settings. [15] This new capability will enable in-suit decompression sickness treatment and flexibility for interfacing with different vehicles. [15] It also allows EVAs to start at a higher internal pressure to decrease prebreathe time, and then slowly decrease the pressure afterward in order to maximize mobility and minimize crew fatigue. [15]

The RCA swing bed removes carbon dioxide (CO2) and controls humidity. [15] The RCA CO2 removal capability is regenerated during EVA by exposure to vacuum, making it superior to previous systems. [15] To remove CO2, the current EMU has to use either a lithium hydroxide (LiOH) canister or a Metal Oxide (Metox) canister. [15] The LiOH canister can only be used once. [15] The Metox canister can be reused post-EVA but to do so takes fourteen hours and requires auxiliary equipment, crew time and significant electricity. [15] RCA is expected to weigh less than current comparable systems. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extravehicular activity</span> Activity done by an astronaut or cosmonaut outside a spacecraft

Extravehicular activity (EVA) is any activity done by an astronaut in outer space outside a spacecraft. In the absence of a breathable Earthlike atmosphere, the astronaut is completely reliant on a space suit for environmental support. EVA includes spacewalks and lunar or planetary surface exploration. In a stand-up EVA (SEVA), an astronaut stands through an open hatch but does not fully leave the spacecraft. EVAs have been conducted by the Soviet Union/Russia, the United States, Canada, the European Space Agency and China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space suit</span> Garment worn to keep a human alive in the harsh environment of outer space

A space suit or spacesuit is a garment worn to keep a human alive in the harsh environment of outer space, vacuum and temperature extremes. Space suits are often worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure, and are necessary for extravehicular activity (EVA), work done outside spacecraft. Space suits have been worn for such work in Earth orbit, on the surface of the Moon, and en route back to Earth from the Moon. Modern space suits augment the basic pressure garment with a complex system of equipment and environmental systems designed to keep the wearer comfortable, and to minimize the effort required to bend the limbs, resisting a soft pressure garment's natural tendency to stiffen against the vacuum. A self-contained oxygen supply and environmental control system is frequently employed to allow complete freedom of movement, independent of the spacecraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mechanical counterpressure suit</span> Spacesuit providing mechanical pressure using elastic garments

A mechanical counterpressure (MCP) suit, partial pressure suit, direct compression suit, or space activity suit (SAS) is an experimental spacesuit which applies stable pressure against the skin by means of skintight elastic garments. The SAS is not inflated like a conventional spacesuit: it uses mechanical pressure, rather than air pressure, to compress the human body in low-pressure environments. Development was begun by NASA and the Air Force in the late 1950s and then again in the late 1960s, but neither design was used. Research is under way at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on a "Bio-Suit" System which is based on the original SAS concept.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extravehicular Mobility Unit</span> Series of semi-rigid two-piece space suit models from the United States

The Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) is an independent anthropomorphic spacesuit that provides environmental protection, mobility, life support, and communications for astronauts performing extravehicular activity (EVA) in Earth orbit. Introduced in 1981, it is a two-piece semi-rigid suit, and is currently one of two types of EVA spacesuits used by crew members on the International Space Station (ISS), the other being the Russian Orlan space suit. It was used by NASA's Space Shuttle astronauts prior to the end of the Shuttle program in 2011.

<i>Quest</i> Joint Airlock Primary airlock for the International Space Station

The Quest Joint Airlock, previously known as the Joint Airlock Module, is the primary airlock for the International Space Station. Quest was designed to host spacewalks with both Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuits and Orlan space suits. The airlock was launched on STS-104 on July 14, 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ILC Dover</span> American special engineering development and manufacturing company

ILC Dover, LP is a special engineering development and manufacturing company, globally headquartered in Frederica, Delaware. ILC Dover specializes in the use of high-performance flexible materials, serving the aerospace, personal protection, and pharmaceutical industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apollo/Skylab spacesuit</span> Space suit used in Apollo and Skylab missions

The Apollo/Skylab space suit is a class of space suits used in Apollo and Skylab missions. The names for both the Apollo and Skylab space suits were Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU). The Apollo EMUs consisted of a Pressure Suit Assembly (PSA) aka "suit" and a Portable Life Support System (PLSS) that was more commonly called the "backpack". The A7L was the PSA model used on the Apollo 7 through 14 missions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orlan space suit</span> Series of space suit models from Russia

The Orlan space suit is a series of semi-rigid one-piece space suit models designed and built by NPP Zvezda. They have been used for spacewalks (EVAs) in the Russian space program, the successor to the Soviet space program, and by space programs of other countries, including NASA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury spacesuit</span>

The Mercury space suit was a full-body, high-altitude pressure suit originally developed by the B.F. Goodrich Company and the U.S. Navy for pilots of high-altitude fighter aircraft. It is best known for its role as the spacesuit worn by the astronauts of the Project Mercury spaceflights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gemini spacesuit</span> Pressurized spacesuit used in the Gemini program

The Gemini spacesuit is a spacesuit worn by American astronauts for launch, in-flight activities and landing. It was designed by NASA based on the X-15 high-altitude pressure suit. All Gemini spacesuits were developed and manufactured by the David Clark Company in Worcester, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I-Suit</span> American spacesuit

The I-Suit is a spacesuit model constructed by ILC Dover. The suit began as an EVA mobility demonstrator, developed to meet a contract awarded by NASA to ILC in 1997 for an all-soft suit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primary life support system</span> Life support device for a space suit

A primarylife support system (PLSS), is a device connected to an astronaut or cosmonaut's spacesuit, which allows extra-vehicular activity with maximum freedom, independent of a spacecraft's life support system. A PLSS is generally worn like a backpack. The functions performed by the PLSS include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hard Upper Torso</span> Space suit component

A Hard Upper Torso Assembly, or HUT, is a central component of several space suits, notably Roscosmos' Orlan and NASA's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU). The fiberglass HUT forms a rigid enclosure about the upper body of the occupant, providing pressure containment for this part of the body. The HUT incorporates structural attachment points for the arms, Lower Torso Assembly (LTA), helmet, chest-mounted Display and Controls Module (DCM), and Primary Life Support Subsystem (PLSS) backpack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark III (space suit)</span> Space suit technology demonstrator

The Mark III or MK III (H-1) is a NASA space suit technology demonstrator built by ILC Dover. While heavier than other suits, the Mark III is more mobile, and is designed for a relatively high operating pressure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desert Research and Technology Studies</span> Field trials of technologies for manned planetary exploration

NASA's Desert Research and Technology Studies is a group of teams which perform an annual series of field trials seeking to demonstrate and test candidate technologies and systems for human exploration of the surface of the Moon, Mars, or other rocky bodies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suitport</span> Alternative technology to enable extravehicular activity

A suitport or suitlock is an alternative technology to an airlock, designed for use in hazardous environments including in human spaceflight, especially planetary surface exploration. Suitports present advantages over traditional airlocks in terms of mass, volume, and ability to mitigate contamination by—and of—the local environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constellation Space Suit</span> Planned full pressure space suit system

The Constellation Space Suit was a planned full pressure suit system that would have served as an intra-vehicular activity (IVA) and extra-vehicular activity (EVA) garment for the proposed Project Constellation flights. The design of the suit was announced by NASA on June 11, 2008, and it was to be manufactured by Houston, Texas-based Oceaneering International, the 4th company after the David Clark Company, Hamilton Sundstrand, and ILC Dover to produce life-support hardware, as a prime contractor, for in-flight space use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hervé Stevenin</span> European aquanaut at the European Astronaut Centre (born 1962)

Hervé Stevenin is a European aquanaut leading ESA Neutral Buoyancy Facility Operations and the EVA Training Unit at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. He served as an aquanaut on the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations 19 crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single-person spacecraft</span> Type of spacecraft with one occupant

A single-person spacecraft is a vehicle designed for space travel. The concept has been used in science fiction and actual ships such as the Mercury capsule, Vostok and some suborbital designs. Single-person spacecraft have been envisioned as a supplement or replacement for space suits in certain applications. The Von Braun Bottle suit of the 1950s functions as a hybrid of a space suit and a one-person spacecraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars suit</span>

A Mars suit or Mars space suit is a space suit for EVAs on the planet Mars. Compared to a suit designed for space-walking in the near vacuum of low Earth orbit, Mars suits have a greater focus on actual walking and a need for abrasion resistance. Mars' surface gravity is 37.8% of Earth's, approximately 2.3 times that of the Moon, so weight is a significant concern, but there are fewer thermal demands compared to open space. At the surface the suits would contend with the atmosphere of Mars, which has a pressure of about 0.6 to 1 kilopascal. On the surface, radiation exposure is a concern, especially solar flare events, which can dramatically increase the amount of radiation over a short time.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Robert M. Boyle; Liana Rodriggs; Charles Allton; Mallory Jennings; Lindsay Aitchison (1 January 2012). "Suitport Feasibility - Human Pressurized Space Suit Donning Tests with the Marman C lamp and Pneumatic Flipper Suitport Concepts" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  2. ↑ Popsci, The Deep-Space Suit Retrieved on 2012-12-21.
  3. ↑ Ross, Amy (1 June 2012). "Z-1 Prototype Space Suit Testing Summary" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  4. ↑ Delaware Business Daily, Z-1 Top Tech.Retrieved on 2012-12-21.
  5. ↑ Best Inventions 2012, NASA’s Z-1 Space Suit Archived 2015-02-20 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved on 2012-12-21.
  6. ↑ "NASA's Z-1 Spacesuit: Buzz Lightyear's Duds (Photos)". space.com. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  7. ↑ NASA Technical Reports Server, Z-1 Prototype Space Suit Testing Summary. Retrieved on 2012-12-21.
  8. 1 2 "NASA Picks ILC Dover To Build Next-gen Spacesuit". Space News. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "NASA Awards Z-2 Spacesuit Contract To ILC Dover". ILC Dover. 19 April 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  10. ↑ Sloan, Jeff (10 November 2016). "On Mars, not just any suit will do". www.compositesworld.com. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Z-2 Spacesuit Design Vote". NASA. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Advanced Suit Development Team - Reddit AMA". 26 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  13. ↑ "Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Spacesuits". ILC Dover. April 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  14. 1 2 "Ultimate wearable tech: NASA using 3D printing to design Mars spacesuit - TechRepublic". techrepublic.com. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Barta, Daniel (15 July 2012). "Next Generation Life Support Project: Development of Advanced Technologies for Human Exploration Missions" (PDF). American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
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