# Presentation: 222822

## Constellation Space Suit SystemCSSS Overview Operational Assumptions / Concepts

*XA / Jeff Dutton*
*XA / Brian Johnson*
*CSSS Industry Day*

## CSSS Overview

**Agenda**
- EVA Systems Project Scope
- Constellation Program EVA Elements and Organization
- EVA Systems Mission Description
- EVA Operational Assumptions / Concepts
- General EVA Operational Concepts
- ISS Missions
- Lunar Sortie Mission
- Technology Development
- Schedule

## EVA Systems Project Scope

- EVA Systems Project has the responsibility for
- Development, Certification, Production, Processing and Sustaining of flight and training hardware systems necessary to support EVA and Crew Survival
- Launch, Entry and Abort (LEA), zero-G EVA, and planetary suit systems to support all phases of Constellation missions
- Crew Survival Gear (integral to suits)
- EVA and Suit Tools & Crew Aids
- EVA Unique Vehicle Interface/Support Hardware
- Associated Ground Support Equipment (GSE)

## Constellation Program EVA Elements

** ****Constellation Program Office EVA elements are comprised of Level II and III organizations**
- The EVA Systems Integration Group (SIG) (Level II)
- Responsible for development and technical baseline control of the Level II EVA requirements “The Constellation Architecture shall ...” and “The EVA System shall ...”
- Located at JSC
- The EVA Systems Project Office (Level III) matrixed from JSC’s EVA Office
- Responsible for decomposition and allocation of Level II EVA requirements to the appropriate elements of the EVA System
- Responsible for development and technical baseline control of the Level III EVA requirements “The EVA Suit System shall ...”
- Located at JSC
- EVA Systems Hardware projects will be managed by JSC with support from GRC

## Mission Description

**Mission Description**

**Mission Description**
- ISS/CEV – Provide LEA, limited duration pressurized survival, and contingency EVA (zero-G) capability for missions to ISS for up to 6 crewmembers
- Lunar Sortie – Provide LEA, extended duration pressurized survival (up to 120 hours), zero-G EVA capability, and surface (1/6-G) EVA capability for a lunar mission (~ 2 weeks, 1 week on surface) for up to 4 crewmembers
- Lunar Outpost – In addition to above, provide surface EVA capability for a lunar mission duration of up to 6 months
- Mars – Surface operation EVA capability on Mars for extended duration

## Mission Phases baseline launch dates/goal launch dates

**Mission Phases ****baseline launch dates/goal launch dates**

- 2014/12

- 2018/15

- 2023

- 2030+

**CEV to ISS**

**Lunar Sortie**

**Lunar Outpost**

**Mars**

**LEA capability for all crewed CEV missions**

**Zero-G capability for all crewed CEV missions**

**Surface EVA capability for planetary exploration**

## Space Suit System Architecture

**NASA perceives that a single **_**suit system**_** providing LEA, zero-G EVA and surface EVA capabilities is a feasible approach and potentially offers the following:  **
- Reduced upmass
- Reduced logistics and sparing
- Reduced life cycle costs
**Technical and schedule challenges suggest that a phased or block approach may be required****	**
- LEA and zero-G EVA capability to support by the first flight of CEV, NLT 2014 with a programmatic goal of 2012
- Surface EVA capability is required for first lunar sortie missions, NLT 2018 with a programmatic goal of 2015
**Soliciting Industry input on the above**

## Suit System Goals “Outcomes” 

**Minimize life cycle cost**
**Minimize system operational overhead and maximize work-efficiency over the entire suit use cycle **
**Minimize system mass and volume and carry weight **
**Maximize unpressurized mobility to allow crewmembers to operate vehicle systems and to perform in emergency situations**
**Maximize EVA capability while limiting impact on unpressurized suit volume, weight, comfort, and other attributes necessary to fulfill the crew survival function **
**Maximize quick donning capabilities**
**Accommodate the full-range of flight crew anthropometries while minimizing the required suit logistics **
**Maximize reliability and minimize maintenance requirements **
**Minimize operational/design constraints for conducting lunar surface operations with respect to geographical location and solar/thermal conditions   **
**Incorporate, where appropriate, design flexibility and modularity to allow for efficient incorporation of upgrades**

## Operational Assumptions and Concepts

**The following several pages provide additional detail of the operations concepts as best known today**
**These concepts and assumptions are preliminary and are based on the Constellation Operations Concepts Document (CxP70007) **
- Current revision will be published to the procurement website
- May change as the Constellation Program progresses through various System Requirements Reviews
- Can be influenced by comments received in responses to the synopsis
**The information provided also includes draft information to be documented in the EVA Systems Operations Concept Document**
**This information as well as that provided on the website should allow for a more detailed response to the synopsis**

## Assumptions Affecting EVA Suit System Hardware for all Mission Phases

**General Assumptions:**
- No prebreathe before launch
- Crewmembers will be able to self don and doff the suit while in vehicle(s)
- The CEV cabin has the capability of being pressurized at 10.2 – 14.7 psi
- All crewmembers are suited and connected to vehicle life support system during majority of flight phases
- There can be water-egress scenarios (in water duration TBD)
- Contingency EVAs will not be used as an immediate emergency response
- Biomedical instrumentation / suit system feed back to the ground via other vehicles will be required
- Hardline and/or wireless voice/data infrastructure will be available on all vehicles
- CEV and LSAM can provide basic life support capability to suits if vehicle(s) become unpressurized
- Conditioned Air
- Water cooling
- Oxygen
- Power / Communication
- Depressurization of vehicles and operation of hatches may be accomplished from either side by a single member of the crew without tools
- Suited pad emergency egress in addition to Launch Abort System will be available

## Crew to ISS Design Reference Mission (DRM)

## CEV/ISS PhaseOperational Assumptions 

**ISS Phase Assumptions:**
- Up to 6 crewmembers in CEV per mission
- The nominal CEV cabin pressure is 14.7 psi
- Two crewed missions to ISS per year
**ISS EVA/Pressure Suit Related Unknowns**
- Suit use for Bends Treatment
- The suit may be required to provide a treatment capability for Decompression Sickness (DCS) by providing to the crewmember a minimum of habitat + suit operating pressure + 4 psi
- Amount of crew survival gear operationally driven to be attached and/or integral to suit
- Seat interface to suit
- Maximum time to survive a vehicle depressurization

## ISS EVA Option

**Primary goal is to procure a suit system to meet Constellation mission requirements **
**The Government would like to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing this system to support ISS EVA requirements, without degradation to Constellation mission performance**
- Potential cost savings to NASA to sustain a single suit system
- Reduced logistics to ISS
- Opportunity to demonstrate performance prior to sortie missions
**Information pertaining to current ISS Suit (EMU) and related environments will be posted on the procurement website**

## Crewed – Lunar Sortie DRM

## Lunar Sortie PhaseOperational Assumptions

**Lunar Sortie Phase Assumptions:**
- Up to 4 crewmembers in CEV / LSAM per mission
- All 4 crewmembers can descend to surface in LSAM
- Up to 4 crewmembers can go EVA simultaneously
- The LSAM cabin has the capability of being pressurized at 8-10.2 psi
- LSAM airlock remains on the lunar surface, if there is an airlock
- Surface suit components can be stowed in the LSAM
- No pre-positioning of hardware on surface for sortie flights
- Need capability to perform a contingency EVA transfer between LSAM and CEV
- LSAM and CEV side hatches will be sized appropriately for pressurized suits to pass through. Assume both vehicles have identical umbilical connections
- The crew can be safely returned to earth within 120 hours from any point in a lunar mission (including from the lunar surface), even if the CEV is depressurized
- Surface stays are restricted to lunar daylight (however suit should not constrain timeline)
- LSAM will have capability to land on majority of lunar surface including polar regions
- Flight rates of up to 2 per year
**Lunar Sortie EVA Operational Unknowns**
- Traverse distance required for planned lunar EVAs
- Quantity & duration of EVAs planned for sortie missions
- Which if any surface suit components will be left on lunar surface or in LSAM ascent module (disposability)

## Lunar Sortie PhaseChallenges

**Team is currently defining detailed EVA operations concept**
**Below are few examples of scenarios under review that present significant challenges to multi-capability suit system design**
- Crew survival during CEV vehicle depressurization
- Return scenarios from the lunar surface could require up to 120 hours of unpressurized survival
- Nutrition, waste management, and other life support functions must be maintained
- Crew survival during LSAM depressurization (while separated from CEV)
- Suit system must accommodate vehicle transfers
- Suit system must be able to accommodate various functions (i.e. reconfiguration) without necessarily requiring doffing of entire system
- Suit operations during & post lunar sortie missions after exposure to lunar regolith
- Minimize dust in crew habitable space
- Maintaining suit system performance

## Suit Technology Development

**Technology development is required prior to design of a Portable Life Support System for lunar surface EVA**
- Apollo and EMU era technology would have several key performance, system mass/volume, and reliability drawbacks
- Although the Apollo suits were successful in supporting the mission goals for that program, the designs would not be acceptable from a performance, reliability, and safety perspective if today’s standards and mission requirements were applied
**Contemplated approach**
- Target development of EVA lunar sortie technologies to address key performance, system mass/volume, and reliability capabilities necessary to support the Constellation Program’s long-term goals
**Starting in FY06 thru FY07 the Government has begun and will continue to pursue various technology development activities in the areas of **
- Life Support Systems (including power)
- Pressure Garment
- Communications, Avionics, and Information (CAI) Systems
- Analog Testing

## Schedule

**No later than (NLT) and goal dates were provided in the pre-solicitation synopsis**
**NASA would like the contractor community to comment on whether the schedule is overly conservative or aggressive and specifically address:**
- The feasibility of meeting goal dates and resulting impact to overall design concept
- How early can the capabilities requested be provided?
- What can NASA do to decrease schedule risk?
**In order to maintain schedule NASA has initiated technical trades and some aspects of preliminary design**
**Based on responses to the synopsis, NASA will determine the most efficient method to transition design responsibility**

## Constellation Space Suit SystemGovernment Capabilities and Facilities

*Raul A. Blanco*
*Crew and Thermal Systems Division*