Download or read book Modeling Space Suit Mobility written by P. B. Schmidt and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 11 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book An Investigation of Space Suit Mobility with Applications to EVA Operations written by Patricia Barrett Schmidt and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: (Cont.) The experimental data corresponds closely with the membrane model, implying that space suit joint stiffness is primarily determined by volume changes as the joint bends and the resulting compression of the gas inside the space suit. The space suit models were applied in a computational work envelope analysis to determine the volume in which a space-suited astronaut can comfortably work. A new method that uses inverse kinematics and the space suit model to calculate a work envelope based on visibility constraints and human strength limits is developed. Sensitivity analysis of the work envelope indicates that improving shoulder mobility and upward and downward visibility enlarge the space-suited work envelope.
Download or read book U S Spacesuits written by Kenneth S. Thomas and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-11-23 with total page 501 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spacesuits are far more than garments. They are a personalized spacecraft that allows direct contact and interaction with everything beyond our world, and a last refuge for survival in a disaster. Creating safe, reliable, and comfortable spacesuits is an ongoing challenge that has spanned over four decades. "U. S. Spacesuits, 2nd Edition" by Kenneth S. Thomas and Harold J. McMann details the technical evolution of U. S. spacesuits from their roots in high altitude aviation and vacuum tube development to present day, with an additional look into the future. This primary source of spacesuit information explains the functions, historical development, and use of spacesuits from a worldwide perspective. In this new edition, the authors update the story of U.S. spacesuit development and efforts, from the design challenges modern engineers face to the latest roles of spacesuits in space exploration. The book also provides a close up look at NASA's new Constellation Space Suit System as well as Apollo prototype configurations that have been discovered since 2005. Also not in the earlier edition is a prototype and model of the Gemini pressure suit and an explanation of its development. Finally, there are new insights into the suits used for the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle, and International Space Station missions.
Download or read book Space Exploration Challenges written by Bradley Thomas Holschuh and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thesis addresses two challenges associated with advanced space and planetary exploration: characterizing and improving the mobility of current and future gas pressurized space suits; and developing effective domestic Planetary Protection policies for the emerging private space industry. Gas-pressurized space suits are known to be highly resistive to astronaut movement. As NASA seeks to return to planetary exploration, there is a critical need to improve full body space suit mobility for planetary exploration. Volume effects (the torque required to displace gas due to internal volume change during movement) and structural effects (the additional torque required to bend the suit materials in their pressurized state) are cited as the primary contributors to suit rigidity. Constant volume soft joints have become the design goal of space suit engineers, and simple joints like the elbow are believed to have nearly achieved such performance. However, more complex joints like the shoulder and waist have not yet achieved comparable optimization. As a result, it is hypothesized that joints like the shoulder and waist introduce a third, and not well studied, contributor to space suit rigidity: pressure effects (the additional work required to compress gas in the closed operating volume of the suit during movement). This thesis quantifies the individual contributors to space suit rigidity through modeling and experimentation. An Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit arm was mounted in a -30kPa hypobaric chamber, and both volume and torque measurements were taken versus elbow angle. The arm was tested with both open and closed operating volumes to determine the contribution of pressure effects to total elbow rigidity. These tests were then repeated using a full EMU volume to determine the actual impact of elbow pressure effects on rigidity when connected to the full suit. In both cases, structural and volume effects were found to be primary contributors to elbow joint rigidity, with structural effects dominating at low flexion angles and volume effects dominating at high flexion angles; pressure effects were detected in the tests that used only the volume of the arm, but were found to be a secondary contributor to total rigidity (on average 5%). These pressure effects were not detected in the tests that used the volume representative of a full EMU. Unexpected structural effects behavior was also measured at high ( 75°) flexion angles, suggesting that the underlying mechanisms of these effects are not yet fully understood, and that current models predicting structural effects behavior do not fully represent the actual mechanisms at work. The detection of pressure effects in the well-optimized elbow joint, even if only in a limited volume, suggests that these effects may prove significant for sub-optimized, larger, multi-axis space suit joints. A novel, fast-acting pressure control system, developed in response to these findings, was found to be capable of mitigating pressure spikes due to volume change (and thus, pressure effects). Implementation of a similar system in future space suit designs could lead to improvements in overall suit mobility. A second study, which focused on the implications of the development of the US private space industry on domestic Planetary Protection policy, is also presented. As signatories of the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space (commonly known as the Outer Space Treaty), the United States is responsible for implementing Planetary Protection procedures designed to prevent biological contamination of the Solar System, as well as contamination of the Earth by any samples returned from extra-terrestrial bodies. NASA has established policies and procedures to comply with this treaty, and has successfully policed itself independently and autonomously since the signing of the treaty. However, for the first time in the history of the American space program, private entities outside of NASA have developed the capability and interest to send objects into space and beyond Earth orbit, and no current protocol exists to guarantee these profit-minded entities comply with US Planetary Protection obligations (a costly and time-consuming process). This thesis presents a review of US Planetary Protection obligations, including NASA's procedures and infrastructure related to Planetary Protection, and based on these current protocols provides policy architecture recommendations for the emerging commercial spaceflight industry. It was determined that the most effective policy architecture for ensuring public and private compliance with Planetary Protection places NASA in control of all domestic Planetary Protection matters, and in this role NASA is charged with overseeing, supporting, and regulating the private spaceflight industry. The underlying analysis and architecture tradeoffs that led to this recommendation are presented and discussed.
Download or read book US Spacesuits written by Kenneth S. Thomas and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-09-11 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: * the most accurate and comprehensive work on U.S. spacesuits ever published. *A unique insight into the development of US spacesuits through to the present day. * Presents in context the authors’ unique collection of 172 black and white photographs. * Explains why spacesuits are a last refuge for astronauts for survival. * Details many technically and historically interesting developments, but which never achieved fruition.
Download or read book Quantifying Astronaut Tasks written by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-06-04 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The primary aim of this research effort was to advance the current understanding of astronauts' capabilities and limitations in space-suited EVA by developing models of the constitutive and compatibility relations of a space suit, based on experimental data gained from human test subjects as well as a 12 degree-of-freedom human-sized robot, and utilizing these fundamental relations to estimate a human factors performance metric for space suited EVA work. The three specific objectives are to: 1) Compile a detailed database of torques required to bend the joints of a space suit, using realistic, multi- joint human motions. 2) Develop a mathematical model of the constitutive relations between space suit joint torques and joint angular positions, based on experimental data and compare other investigators' physics-based models to experimental data. 3) Estimate the work envelope of a space suited astronaut, using the constitutive and compatibility relations of the space suit. The body of work that makes up this report includes experimentation, empirical and physics-based modeling, and model applications. A detailed space suit joint torque-angle database was compiled with a novel experimental approach that used space-suited human test subjects to generate realistic, multi-joint motions and an instrumented robot to measure the torques required to accomplish these motions in a space suit. Based on the experimental data, a mathematical model is developed to predict joint torque from the joint angle history. Two physics-based models of pressurized fabric cylinder bending are compared to experimental data, yielding design insights. The mathematical model is applied to EVA operations in an inverse kinematic analysis coupled to the space suit model to calculate the volume in which space-suited astronauts can work with their hands, demonstrating that operational human factors metrics can be predicted from fundamental space suit information.Newman, DavaJohnson Space CenterHUMAN FAC
Download or read book Preliminary Shuttle Space Suit Shielding Model written by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-06-21 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are two space suits in current usage within the space program: EMU [2] and Orlan-M Space Suit . The Shuttle space suit components are discussed elsewhere [2,5,6] and serve as a guide to development of the current model. The present model is somewhat simplified in details which are considered to be second order in their effects on exposures. A more systematic approach is ongoing on a part-by-part basis with the most important ones in terms of exposure contributions being addressed first with detailed studies of the relatively thin space suit fabric as the first example . Additional studies to validate the model of the head coverings (bubble, helmet, visors.. .) will be undertaken in the near future. The purpose of this paper is to present the details of the model as it is now and to examine its impact on estimates of astronaut health risks. In this respect, the nonuniform distribution of mass of the space suit provides increased shielding in some directions and some organs. These effects can be most important in terms of health risks and especially critical to evaluation of potential early radiation effects . Anderson, Brooke M. and Nealy, J. E. and Qualls, G. D. and Staritz, P. J. and Wilson, J. W. and Kim, M.-H. Y. and Cucinotta, F. A. and Atwell, W. and DeAngelis, G. and Ware, J. and Persans, A. E. Johnson Space Center; Langley Research Center
Download or read book Evaluation of the Mark III Spacesuit written by Conor Ryan Cullinane and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spacesuit Assemblies (SSAs) provide life support for human operators performing extravehicular activities (EVAs). The overall goal of this research was to investigate three research questions to address gaps in the field of spacesuit assembly (SSA) evaluations: [1] What are the mobility and agility limitations causing operators to experience performance decrements when wearing a SSA?; [2] What is causing operators to experience increased joint torques?; and [3] How does the distributed weight of an SSA, transferred to the operator, affect performance? This research leveraged both experimental and computational modeling capabilities to evaluate SSAs with a human-centered focus, in ways previously unachievable. The space suit evaluated for this research was NASA's Mark III (MkIII) Planetary Technology Demonstrator SSA, built to test the next generation in planetary exploration capabilities, improving upon Apollo era technology. The hip brief assembly (HBA) is built with three nested bearings, each with a single rotational degree of freedom that together provide the range of motion, walking efficiency, and kneeling capabilities. An initial investigation, combining a pilot study and supporting modeling, revealed limitations in the current human-SSA system that may impair the operator's mobility/stability and agility. Limitations identified and investigated in this thesis include SSA degrees of freedom (DOFs), the SSA range of motion (ROM) envelope, the bearing resistances, the SSA component's inertial effects, the SSA mass load transfer dynamics, and suit fit. The SSA architecture was modeled as part of the thesis, creating a tool that was useful in the investigation of the human-suit system. The model relied on SSA component geometries and inherent mass/inertia and bearing resistance characteristics to output joint dynamics, rather than requiring those dynamics as an input (which would require extensive experimental setups). The model was used to isolate components that contribute to the measured operator performance degradations and to quantify the extent of their contributions. These investigations lead to suggestions for design requirements and evaluation techniques that can guide future SSA development and evaluations.
Download or read book Space Suit Simulator for Partial Gravity Extravehicular Activity Experimentation and Training written by Andrea Lynn Gilkey and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During human space exploration, mobility is extremely limited when working inside a pressurized space suit. Astronauts perform extensive training on Earth to become accustomed to space suit-imposed high joint torques and limited range of motion. Space suit experimentation is difficult for researchers because the current suit is expensive, bulky, heavy, hard to don/doff, and in very short supply. The main objective of this thesis is to develop a wearable space suit simulator (S3) exoskeleton that can mimic the joint torques and reduced mobility of various pressurized space suit designs. A space suit simulator exoskeleton is a novel method for simulating joint torques while offering a lightweight, portable, and easily accessible design. This thesis describes early work towards development of the S3 exoskeleton. A space suit joint database was developed, which includes joint torque and angle range of motion information for multiple pressurized space suits, degrees of freedom, and pressurization levels. The space suit joint database was used to set the joint torque and angle range of motion requirements for the S3 exoskeleton. Additionally, various actuators that have been used in previous exoskeleton designs were compared according to weight and bulk characteristics to select actuators for the S3 exoskeleton. The conceptual designs of the S3 knee and hip components are presented. Finally, the S3 computer simulation is described, which allows users to input the geometries and locations of the S3 exoskeleton components. The computer simulation outputs the space suit hysteresis curves to compare S3 joint design performance to actual space suit performance. Feasible design solutions for the S3 exoskeleton joints can be determined from designs that minimize the root-mean-square error of the hysteresis curves.
Download or read book Design of Soft Knee Exoskeleton and Modeling Effects of Variable Stiffness for Advanced Space Suits and Planetary Exploration written by Allison Paige Porter and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Existing gas-pressurized space suit designs aim to provide astronauts with a wide range of joint motion while minimizing joint torque during extra-vehicular activity (EVA). However, current space suits have stiff joints with limited range, which impede performance. Future designs should consider that some joint torque can be beneficial in storing elastic energy for locomotion in reduced gravity planetary EVAs. Though current gas-pressurized space suits restrict astronaut movement, they are capable of partially supporting their own mass and storing elastic energy in the lower body, allowing metabolic cost reduction during locomotion in reduced gravity, such as on Mars or the moon. The BioSuit[superscript TM] developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is an advanced, skin-tight compression garment concept, which exerts mechanical counterpressure (MCP) directly on the astronaut’s skin with the benefits of increasing range of motion and performance while also reducing mass when compared to gas-pressurized space suits. A BioSuit[superscript TM] soft knee exoskeleton with tunable knee stiffness was developed to minimize metabolic expenditure during locomotion in partial gravity and maximize mobility. Musculoskeletal modeling simulated predicted soft knee exoskeleton stiffness at the knee during walking in Earth and Lunar gravity. This thesis summarizes the design and development of prototype actuation in a soft exoskeleton in collaboration with the D-Air Lab (Vicenza, Italy) that applies variable knee stiffness. Soft knee exoskeleton design criteria, fabrication techniques, and simulated impacts on joint kinematics and metabolic cost are discussed. The soft knee exoskeleton was shown to exert tunable knee stiffness via airbags. Prototypes were developed to minimize partial gravity locomotion metabolic cost and space suit inflexibility. An OpenSim software pipeline was shown to be capable of torsional spring stiffness modeling at the knee analogous with predicted soft knee exoskeleton stiffness. Integration of 1G and 0.17G walking data enabled comparison of energetics trends between exoskeleton conditions within each gravity level. The results of this thesis demonstrate the ability to integrate a soft knee exoskeleton into the BioSuit[superscript TM] to improve space suit design and enable longer, safer, and more complex EVAs in partial gravity.
Download or read book Digital Human Modeling written by Vincent G. Duffy and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-07-14 with total page 775 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 13th International Conference on Human–Computer Interaction, HCI Inter- tional 2009, was held in San Diego, California, USA, July 19–24, 2009, jointly with the Symposium on Human Interface (Japan) 2009, the 8th International Conference on Engineering Psychology and Cognitive Ergonomics, the 5th International Conference on Universal Access in Human–Computer Interaction, the Third International Conf- ence on Virtual and Mixed Reality, the Third International Conference on Internati- alization, Design and Global Development, the Third International Conference on Online Communities and Social Computing, the 5th International Conference on Augmented Cognition, the Second International Conference on Digital Human Mod- ing, and the First International Conference on Human Centered Design. A total of 4,348 individuals from academia, research institutes, industry and gove- mental agencies from 73 countries submitted contributions, and 1,397 papers that were judged to be of high scientific quality were included in the program. These papers - dress the latest research and development efforts and highlight the human aspects of the design and use of computing systems. The papers accepted for presentation thoroughly cover the entire field of human–computer interaction, addressing major advances in knowledge and effective use of computers in a variety of application areas.
Download or read book Space Suit Development Status written by Richard S. Johnston and published by . This book was released on 1966 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Thermal Modeling Analysis and Control of a Space Suit written by Anthony Bruce Campbell and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The thermal dynamics of two space suits, the Space Shuttle EMU and the MPLSS Advanced Space Suit, are considered as they relate to astronaut thermal comfort control. The activities documented in this dissertation cover three related areas, modeling, analysis, and control. A detailed dynamic lumped capacitance thermal model of the operational Space Shuttle EMU is used to analyze the thermal dynamics of the system with observations verified using experimental and flight data. Prior to using the model to define performance characteristics and limitations for the space suit, the model is first evaluated and improved. This evaluation includes determining the effect of various model parameters on model performance and quantifying various temperature prediction errors in terms of heat transfer and heat storage. The thermal dynamics and design of an Advanced Space Suit are next considered. A transient model of the MPLSS Advanced Space Suit design is developed and implemented using MATLAB/Simulink, to help with sizing, with design evaluation, and with the development of an automatic thermal comfort control strategy. The model is described and the thermal characteristics of the Advanced Space Suit are investigated including various parametric design studies. The steady state performance envelope for the Advanced Space Suit is defined in terms of the thermal environment and human metabolic rate and the transient response of the human-suit-MPLSS system is analyzed. The observations and insights about the thermal dynamics of a space suit are then applied to the automatic thermal comfort control of the MPLSS Advanced Space Suit. Automatic thermal comfort control for the Advanced Space Suit is investigated using three proposed strategies. These strategies use a transient thermal comfort definition based on body heat storage. The first strategy is measurement based using a proposed body heat storage estimation method to determine the astronaut's thermal state. The second strategy is model based using a model to determine the desired liquid cooling garment inlet temperature to provide thermal comfort. The third strategy is a hybrid strategy combining the measurement based and model based approach using the Generalized Predictive Control framework. Each strategy then uses a resource allocation decision logic to determine which of three control mechanisms to use so that thermal comfort can be provided while minimizing the use of consumables. Accuracy and performance of the strategies are evaluated using simulations, highlighting their advantages and limitations."--Leaves iv-v.
Download or read book Apollo Space Suit and Extravehicular Mobility Unit written by Lockheed Missiles and Space Company and published by . This book was released on 1966 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book NASA Space Systems Technology Model written by United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Understanding Skill in Eva Mass Handling Volume 4 An Integrated Methodology for Evaluating Space Suit Mobility and Stability written by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-06-12 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The empirical investigation of extravehicular activity (EVA) mass handling conducted on NASA's Precision Air-Bearing Floor led to a Phase I SBIR from JSC. The purpose of the SBIR was to design an innovative system for evaluating space suit mobility and stability in conditions that simulate EVA on the surface of the Moon or Mars. The approach we used to satisfy the Phase I objectives was based on a structured methodology for the development of human-systems technology. Accordingly the project was broken down into a number of tasks and subtasks. In sequence, the major tasks were: 1) Identify missions and tasks that will involve EVA and resulting mobility requirements in the near and long term; 2) Assess possible methods for evaluating mobility of space suits during field-based EVA tests; 3) Identify requirements for behavioral evaluation by interacting with NASA stakeholders;.4) Identify necessary and sufficient technology for implementation of a mobility evaluation system; and 5) Prioritize and select technology solutions. The work conducted in these tasks is described in this final volume of the series on EVA mass handling. While prior volumes in the series focus on novel data-analytic techniques, this volume addresses technology that is necessary for minimally intrusive data collection and near-real-time data analysis and display.McDonald, P. Vernon and Newman, DavaJohnson Space CenterDATA ACQUISITION; REAL TIME OPERATION; EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY; FIELD TESTS; SPACE SUITS; STABILITY; MOON; GAS BEARINGS
Download or read book Spacesuit written by Nicholas De Monchaux and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2011-03-18 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How the twenty-one-layer Apollo spacesuit, made by Playtex, was a triumph of intimacy over engineering. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface in July of 1969, they wore spacesuits made by Playtex: twenty-one layers of fabric, each with a distinct yet interrelated function, custom-sewn for them by seamstresses whose usual work was fashioning bras and girdles. This book is the story of that spacesuit. It is a story of the triumph over the military-industrial complex by the International Latex Corporation, best known by its consumer brand of "Playtex"—a victory of elegant softness over engineered hardness, of adaptation over cybernetics. Playtex's spacesuit went up against hard armor-like spacesuits designed by military contractors and favored by NASA's engineers. It was only when those attempts failed—when traditional engineering firms could not integrate the body into mission requirements—that Playtex, with its intimate expertise, got the job. In Spacesuit, Nicholas de Monchaux tells the story of the twenty-one-layer spacesuit in twenty-one chapters addressing twenty-one topics relevant to the suit, the body, and the technology of the twentieth century. He touches, among other things, on eighteenth-century androids, Christian Dior's New Look, Atlas missiles, cybernetics and cyborgs, latex, JFK's carefully cultivated image, the CBS lunar broadcast soundstage, NASA's Mission Control, and the applications of Apollo-style engineering to city planning. The twenty-one-layer spacesuit, de Monchaux argues, offers an object lesson. It tells us about redundancy and interdependence and about the distinctions between natural and man-made complexity; it teaches us to know the virtues of adaptation and to see the future as a set of possibilities rather than a scripted scenario.
