NASA Awards Contract For Spacesuit of the Future

Guillermo brings news that NASA has awarded a contract for the development of the next generation of space suits for future use by astronauts in the Constellation program. The contract calls for two different levels of protection; a flexible, lightweight model for operations inside vehicles and stations, and a tougher, bulkier model built off the first for use on the moon. We've discussed spacesuit design (and what happens without them) in the past. "Suits and support systems will be needed for as many as four astronauts on moon voyages and as many as six space station travelers. For short trips to the moon, the suit design will support a week's worth of moon walks. The system also must be designed to support a significant number of moon walks during potential six-month lunar outpost expeditions. In addition, the spacesuit and support systems will provide contingency spacewalk capability and protection against the launch and landing environment, such as spacecraft cabin leaks."

Comments

Major Matt Mason type suit

[slashname3]

Doesn't that look an awful lot like the Major Matt Mason suits from the 70's? Maybe they had space flight and the Moon vehicles right way back then. Can't wait to see the crawler.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Matt_Mason

Re:Major Matt Mason type suit

[WED Fan]

Doesn't that look an awful lot like the Major Matt Mason suits from the 70's? Maybe they had space flight and the Moon vehicles right way back then. Can't wait to see the crawler.

God!!! I had the whole set when I was a kid. I had my ray pistol and would set up a complete moon base in the backyard. Mom almost killed me when I dug up a corner of the yard so I could create a moon-scape. But, this is the same mom that made me an Apollo control panel out of cardboard so I could lay on the bottom bunk of my bed and play with the panel above my head like I was going to the moon.

Anyway, I lost the Major and couldn't find him, I'm think it was in 1970. Because the next summer, '71, was the first summer I could use the power mower. I was rounding the corner by the back fence and pieces of Major Matt Mason went flying out from under the mower. America had lost a hero, and Oxnard, CA contains the grave of one rubber bendy spaceman doll. RIP Major Matt Mason, the moon is your monument./P

Re:Space suit of the future!

[Rob T Firefly]

Goodnight Bill Theiss, wherever you are.

I wondered about that too...

[denzacar]

Seriously, come back when we have sexy space suits! Apparently, it is not yet "there".
From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosuit>

Current versions of portions the BioSuit have consistently reached 25 kPa, and the team is currently aiming for 30 kPa for a baseline design. Also from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacesuit#Operating_pressure
Operating pressure

Generally, to supply enough oxygen for respiration, a spacesuit using pure oxygen must have a pressure of about 4.7 psi (32.4 kPa), equal to the 3 psi (20.7 kPa) partial pressure of oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere at sea level, plus 40 torr (5.3 kPa) CO2 and 47 torr (6.3 kPa) water vapor pressure, both of which must be subtracted from the alveolar pressure to get alveolar oxygen partial pressure in 100% oxygen atmospheres, by the alveolar gas equation.[1] The latter two figures add to 87 torr (11.6 kPa, 1.7 psi), which is why many modern spacesuits do not use 3 psi, but 4.7 psi (this is a slight overcorrection, as alveolar partial pressures at sea level are not a full 3 psi, but a bit less). In spacesuits that use 3 psi, the astronaut gets only 3 - 1.7 = 1.3 psi (9 kPa) of oxygen, which is about the alveolar oxygen partial pressure attained at an altitude of 6100 ft (1860 m) above sea level. This is about 78% of normal sea level pressure, about the same as pressure in a commercial passenger jet aircraft, and is the realistic lower limit for safe ordinary space suit pressurization which allows reasonable work capacity. Close... but no cigar.