Identification and status of design improvements to the NASA shuttle EMU for International Space Station application

To meet the significant increase in EVA demand to support assembly and operations of the International Space Station (ISS), NASA and industry have improved the current Shuttle Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), or “space suit”, configuration to meet the unique and specific requirements of an orbita...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta astronautica 1997-06, Vol.40 (11), p.797-805
Main Authors: Wilde, Richard C., Mcbarron, James W., Faszcza, Jeffrey J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Environment, Controlled
Equipment Design
Ergonomics
Extravehicular Activity
Humans
International Cooperation
Russia
Space Flight - instrumentation
Space life sciences
Space Suits
United States
United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Weightlessness
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Summary:To meet the significant increase in EVA demand to support assembly and operations of the International Space Station (ISS), NASA and industry have improved the current Shuttle Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), or “space suit”, configuration to meet the unique and specific requirements of an orbital-based system. The current Shuttle EMU was designed to be maintained and serviced on the ground between frequent Shuttle flights. ISS will require the EMUs to meet increased EVAs out of the Shuttle Orbiter and to remain on orbit for up to 180 days without need for regular return to Earth for scheduled maintenance or refurbishment. Ongoing Shuttle EMU improvements have increased reliability, operational life and performance while minimizing ground and on-orbit maintenance cost and expendable inventory. Modification to both the anthropomorphic mobility elements of the Space Suit Assembly (SSA) as well as to the Primary Life Support System (PLSS) are identified and discussed. This paper also addresses the status of on-going Shuttle EMU improvements and summarizes the approach for increasing interoperability of the U.S. and Russian space suits to be utilized aboard the ISS.
ISSN:0094-5765
1879-2030
DOI:10.1016/S0094-5765(97)00132-X