Space activity suit

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A space activity suit is a kind of spacesuit which provides mechanical pressure by means of elastic garments, as opposed to pressurizing the suit with the breathing gas as is standard practice in regular suits.

1 History
2 Technology
3 References
4 The Space activity suit in fiction
5 External links

[edit] History

Original research was done by Paul Webb, who in 1968 published a paper titled "The Space Activity Suit: An Elastic Leotard for Extravehicular Activity" in the April 1968 issue of Aerospace Medicine. Research was funded by NASA.

In 1971, Webb, along with James F. Annis, published NASA CR-1892, "Development of a Space Activity Suit", including experimentation with a human volunteer put into a low-pressure chamber to exercise and perform tasks requiring manual dexterity. The results were positive, and the researchers felt that further improvements were possible.

NASA discontinued research into the space activity suit, and pressurized suits are still used as of 2006. However, research is under way at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on a Bio-Suit System as a preparation to President Bush's new space vision.

[edit] Technology

A space activity suit consists of a pressurized bubble helmet (much like those in fully pressurized spacesuits), a positive-pressure breathing system, and an elastic leotard, which provides mechanical counterpressure to the body. The main difference from a pressure suit is that the counterpressure to the surface of the body is provided by an elastic non-airtight fabric instead of gas pressure – skin itself is actually quite airtight.

This has certain advantages: Cooling is accomplished by the evaporation of sweat through the fabric (instead of water cooling systems). The unpressurized and elastic suit allows finer and less laborous movements (which leads to less fatigue and more manual accuracy), has less mass and is much simpler. It is also thought to be safer, since isolated damages to the suit may lead to localized skin swellings or injuries, but not to general (deadly) decompression.

Quoting the NASA Contractor Report from 1971:

In conclusion, the SAS at its present stage of development will protect man from the effects of the vacuum environment, in a garment, which permits improved mobility and natural body movements. Physiologically the approach is sound, and although there remain many problems to be solved, they are principally mechanically in nature. It has been suggested that solution of the mechanical problems, combined with careful tailoring based upon biomechanical analysis, plus the development of specific elastic fabrics, could eventually lead to a space qualified version of the SAS.

[edit] References

Webb, Paul. "The Space Activity Suit: An Elastic Leotard for Extravehicular Activity". Aerospace Medicine, April 1968, pp. 376--383.

[edit] The Space activity suit in fiction

Naturally works of fiction which mention this spacesuit design are usually science fiction. However, not many writers dwell on the actual design of spacesuits. Some whose work does mention flexible skin-tight suits include:

Jerry Pournelle, who has himself been extensively involved in analysis and design of space technology systems. Pournelle envisions a layered design where the inner flexible suit can be overlain with various kinds of thermal protection or armor, for protection against meteoroids or space battle damage, in the same way a flak jacket protects the occupants of a warplane.
A. Bertram Chandler.
Stephen Baxter in his Manifold series, notably 'Time'. Baxter's work covers the technical aspects of using the suit for short EVAs, including the need to don the suit without creasing to prevent embolisms.
Larry Niven used Pournelle's design in some of his later Ringworld novels.
Victor Koman in Kings of the High Frontier.
Kim Stanley Robinson used a suit that works on the same principle for Martian surface exploration in the Red Mars novel.
Roger Leloup in the adventures of Yoko Tsuno