Orlan space suits
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Orlan space suits are a series of semi-rigid space suits designed and built by NPP Zvezda for use in the Soviet space program and Russian space program. They are used for extra-vehicular activity (spacewalks). The Orlan series is named for the Russian word for 'sea eagle'.
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[edit] Design
The Orlan space suit has gone through several models. Designations include the Orlan-D, Orlan-DM, Orlan-DMA, and Orlan-M (models used in space), and Orlan-GN, Orlan-T, and Orlan-V (used in cosmonaut training). The original Orlan suit, with a two and a half hour operation time, was designed for use on the Moon as part of the Soviet Lunar programme, although it was abandoned in favour of a model with a greater operating capacity. The Orlan-D expanded the operation time to three hours; the Orlan-DM to nine hours.
The Orlan space suit is semi-rigid, that is, it has a solid torso and helmet but flexible arms. It was designed with a rear hatch entry through the attached backpack that allows it to be donned relatively quickly (approximately five minutes). The first Orlan suits were attached to the spacecraft by an umbilical tether that supplied power and communications links. The Orlan-DM, and all models since, were designed to be self-sustaining.
[edit] History
The first Orlan spacewalk took place on December 20, 1977, on the Soviet space station Salyut 6, during the Soyuz 26 mission. Yuri Romanenko and Georgi Grechko tested the Orlan-D space suit. The Orlan-DM was used for the first time on August 2, 1985, by the cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Viktor Savinykh of Salyut 7.
The Orlan space suits were used for spacewalks on the Salyut stations, but for Mir they were replaced by the Orlan-DMA and Orlan-M suits: the Orlan-DMA was first tested on January 26, 1990, by Alexander Viktorenko and Aleksandr Serebrov, and the Orlan-M on April 29, 1997, by Vasili Tsibliyev and Jerry M. Linenger. The Orlan-M continued to be used on Mir until the end of the station's operational life, and is now used on the International Space Station. Orlan space suits have been used by Russian, American, and European astronauts.
On February 3, 2006, a retired Orlan fitted with a radio transmitter, dubbed SuitSat-1, was lanched into orbit from the International Space Station.
[edit] Training
Orlan suits are used in the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center in Star City, Moscow: the Orlan-GN for water immersion training, the Orlan-T for airlock procedure training, and the Orlan-V for zero gravity flight training.
