Browsing by Author "McFarland, Shane"
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Item Analysis of Potential Glove-Induced Hand Injury Metrics during Typical Neutral Buoyancy Training Operations(47th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2017-07-16) McFarland, Shane; Nguyen, DanInjuries to the hands are common among astronauts who train for extravehicular activity. When the gloves are pressurized, they restrict movement and create pressure points during tasks, sometimes resulting in pain, muscle fatigue, abrasions, and occasionally more severe injuries such as onycholysis. A brief review of NASA’s Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health’s injury database reveals that 76% of astronaut hand and arm injuries from training between 1993 and 2010 occurred either to the fingernail, finger crotch, metacarpophalangeal joint, or fingertip. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential of using small sensors to measure forces acting on the fingers and hand within pressurized gloves and other variables such as skin temperature, humidity, and fingernail strain of a NASA crewmember during typical NBL training activity. During the 5-hour exercise, the crewmember seemed to exhibit very large forces on some fingers, resulting in higher strain than seen in previous glovebox testing. In addition, vital information was collected on the glove cavity environment with respect to temperature and humidity. All of this information gathered during testing will be carried forward into future testing, potentially in glovebox or 1G or NBL suited environments, to better characterize and understand the possible causes of hand injury amongst NASA crew.Item Establishing a Standardized Test Method for Evaluating the Cut Resistance of Space Suit Glove Fabrics(2024 International Conference on Environmnetal Systems, 2024-07-21) Jones, Robert J.; Abney,Morgan B.; Brady, Tim; Morris, Danielle; Rhodes, Richard; McFarland, Shane; Cox, Andrew; Funk, Andrew; Settles, JoeThe Artemis space suit glove environmental protection garment (EPG) will be the first line of protection used to shield the crewmember�s hands from the environments encountered during extravehicular activity (EVA). As the Artemis missions will include more extreme environments than those experienced on the International Space Station, development, verification, and validation of gloves poses three key challenges. First, there are no standardized tests defined to evaluate the durability of space suit gloves for the extreme lunar environments, particularly against the continual threat of inadvertently cutting the fabric of the glove. Second, there is insufficient data on state-of-the-art glove cut performance at lunar temperatures from which to compare new designs. Third, current ISS glove Thermal Micrometeoroid Garment (TMG) fabrics are unlikely to be sufficient to meet Lunar requirements. It is therefore necessary to define tests to evaluate if glove fabrics can meet new, challenging cut requirements. This paper focuses on the development of a test procedure to characterize the cut resistance of lunar EVA glove fabrics at cryogenic temperatures using a modified ASTM standardized test method. The results of testing on Phase VI glove fabrics are presented.Item Establishing Standardized Test Methods for Evaluating Space Suit Gloves(2023 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2023-07-16) Jones, Robert; Abney, Morgan; Brady, Timothy; Rhodes, Richard; McFarland, Shane; Settles. Joe; Stephens, Chanel; Hoyle, Andrew; Funk, Andrew; Rodgers, Stephanie,The Artemis space suit glove environmental protection garment (EPG) will be the first line of protection used to shield the crewmember’s hands from the environments encountered during extravehicular activity (EVA). As the Artemis missions will include more extreme environments than those experienced on the International Space Station, development, verification, and validation of gloves poses three key challenges. First, there are no standardized tests defined to evaluate the durability of space suit gloves for the extreme lunar environments, particularly the permanently shadowed regions. Second, there is insufficient data on state-of-the-art glove performance in a lunar environment from which to compare new designs. Third, current ISS glove Thermal Micrometeoroid Garment (TMG) fabrics are unlikely to be sufficient to meet Lunar requirements. It is therefore necessary to define tests to evaluate if gloves can meet new, challenging requirements. This paper focuses on the development of a test procedure to characterize lunar EVA glove fabrics using ASTM standardized test methods and the design and validation of a new standardized test procedure for comparing abrasion resistance between fabrics in lunar-like conditions. The results of testing on twelve candidate EVA glove fabrics are presented.Item Monitoring Human Performance during Suited Operations: A Technology Feasibility Study Using Extravehicular Mobility Unit Gloves(45th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2015-07-12) Bekdash, Omar; Norcross, Jason; McFarland, ShaneMobility tracking of human subjects while conducting suited operations still remains focused on the external movement of the suit and little is known about the human movement within. For this study, accelerometers and bend-sensitive resistors were integrated into a custom-carrier glove to quantify range-of-motion and dexterity from within the pressurized- glove environment as a first-stage feasibility study of sensor hardware, integration, and reporting capabilities. Sensors were also placed on the exterior of the pressurized glove to determine whether it was possible to compare a glove-joint angle to the anatomical-joint angle of the subject during tasks. Quantifying human movement within the suit was feasible, with accelerometers clearly detecting movements in the wrist and reporting expected joint angles at maximum flexion or extension postures with repeatability of ±5o between trials. Bend sensors placed on the proximal interphalangeal and distal interphalangeal joints performed less well than the accelerometers and did not reflect joint positions accurately. It was not possible to determine the actual joint angle using these bend sensors, but these sensors could be used to determine when the joint was flexed to its maximum and provide a general range of mobility needed to complete a task. Now that we understand the requirements and limitations of embedding hardware in the suit environment, further work includes additional testing with accelerometers and the possible inclusion of hardware such as magnetometers or gyroscopes to more precisely locate the joint in three-dimensional space. We hope to eventually expand beyond the hand and glove and develop a more comprehensive suit sensor suite to characterize motion across more joints (e.g., knee, elbow, shoulder, etc.) and fully monitor the human body operating within the suit environment.Item NASA Advanced Space Suit Pressure Garment System Status and Development Priorities 2024(2024 International Conference on Environmnetal Systems, 2024-07-21) McFarland, Shane; Rhodes, Richard; Campbell, DonThis paper discusses the current focus of NASA�s Advanced Space Suit Pressure Garment Technology Development team�s efforts, the status of that work, and a summary of longer term technology development priorities and activities. The Exploration Extra-vehicular Activity Mobility Unit (xEMU) has been the team�s primary effort over the past several years. This paper documents the various tests executed with the xPGS to evaluate its performance, durability, and acceptability for microgravity and Lunar missions. An overview of ongoing and planned xEMU testing and training is provided. The PGS team�s efforts in supporting the Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) vendors is discussed. In addition, technology development efforts in coordination with the EVA and Human Surface Mobility Program (EHP), the NASA Engineering Safety Council (NESC) and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program will be discussed in the context of supporting sustaining EVA operations on the Lunar surface over the coming decade. Finally, a brief review of longer-term pressure garment challenges and technology gaps will be presented to provide an understanding of the advanced pressure garment team�s technology investment priorities and needs.Item NASA Advanced Space Suit xEMU Development Report-- Shoulder Assembly(51st International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/10/2022) Meginnis, Ian; McFarland, Shane; Rhodes, Richard; Watters, Jeff; Cox, DavidFor the past several years, the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) team at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) has focused on the development and detailed design of the xEMU to support missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and a moon landing in 2024. In that context, this paper examines the development and baseline detailed design of the xEMU Shoulder Assembly. This paper will outline the challenging technical requirements, significant architectural trades, technical solutions required to overcome these challenges, and a status of the detailed design. The preliminary results of Design Verification Testing (DVT) as it relates to the shoulder will also be provided, along with a forward strategy for final maturation into a flight-ready design.Item NASA EVA Glove Characterization Protocol Development(48th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2018-07-08) Korona, Frank; McFarland, Shane; Walsh, SarahFuture exploration missions involving humans will be conducted in more challenging environments. Current Extravehicular Activity (EVA) gloves have limited life, severely limit hand mobility and are a significant source of injury during spaceflight, making them unsuitable for future planetary exploration missions. The next generation of gloves will be designed with the goal of significantly improving performance, such as mobility and tactility, and tolerance of planetary environments. A multi-year effort under the High Performance EVA Glove (HPEG) project element at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) strived to advance the EVA glove design by developing new prototypes and establishing a glove characterization protocol or standard to evaluate design changes. By researching hand-based test standards from other industries and targeting common EVA glove motions, tasks were compiled and down selected to create a set of activities to make up a standard EVA glove protocol. The objective of the standard protocol is to allow for quantitative analysis of glove performance data for the purpose of objectively assessing improvements among various glove designs or iterations. The following paper describes how this protocol was used in EVA glove testing of two new prototypes, as well as the current Phase VI Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) flight glove. In addition, it also outlines the outcome of this effort and what it means for evaluation of EVA glove performance in the future.Item NASA Extravehicular Activity Technology Roadmaps for Exploration(2024 International Conference on Environmnetal Systems, 2024-07-21) Chullen, Cinda; Sipila, Stephanie; Wells, Kevin; McFarland, ShaneThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has developed and matured many technologies over the decades to advance extravehicular activity (EVA) systems. Over the last 15 years, major steps were taken to advance the technology with the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) government reference design at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The xEMU builds on the lessons learned of the Apollo, Space Shuttle, and International Space Station (ISS) EMUs, evolving the technology to increase performance for extreme environments. As NASA sets its goals toward the Earth�s Moon and Mars, a spacesuit design tolerable of gravity and dust will be needed for these adverse environments. NASA has used roadmaps as the means of documenting actionable plans for strategizing technology developments needed to meet NASA�s mission and goals. To help reach and create a sustained presence on the Moon, NASA procured EVA services from industry through the Exploration EVA Services (xEVAS) contract. These services include certified contractor-provided spacesuits, tools, equipment, vehicle interfaces, and support to training and real-time operations. NASA will now focus on a mission to Mars. NASA leadership has set goals and objectives related to the blueprint vision and a Moon to Mars (M2M) strategy. This paper presents an organizational framework to provide insight into how NASA�s vision is realized. Additionally, this paper covers the maturation and development of the spacesuit technology and reveals the EVA technology roadmaps for the M2M Program. These EVA roadmaps visualize an actionable path to EVA capabilities needed for Mars exploration.Item NASA's High Performance EVA Glove: Project Element Summary(48th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2018-07-08) McFarland, Shane; Walsh, SarahThe High Performance EVA Glove (HPEG) is an element of the Next Generation Life Support (NGLS) project funded by the Space Technology and Mission Directorate (STMD) through the Game Changing Development program. Managed and executed at Johnson Space Center (JSC), HPEG leveraged the experience of the Crew and Thermal Systems Division’s (CTSD) Space Suit and Crew Survival Systems branch to push space suit glove technology beyond what is currently flown at the International Space Station (ISS), while planning for future exploration-class missions to planetary surfaces. The main overall goals of HPEG were to improve performance, increase durability, and reduce hand injury as compared to the current state of the art Phase VI glove. With these goals in mind, the HPEG element of NGLS began formulation in fiscal year 2012, with full implementation funding in fiscal years 2013-2017. Through this time, more than a dozen tasks were undertaken to improve, evaluate, and enhance current glove technology. Collectively, HPEG represents the single largest glove development effort at NASA since the 1990s. This paper serves as documentation of HPEG, the various facets of it, what was learned, and identifies potential next steps for the future.Item NASA’s Advanced Extra-vehicular Activity Space Suit Pressure Garment 2018 Status and Development Plan(48th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2018-07-08) Ross, Amy; Rhodes, Richard; McFarland, ShaneThis paper presents both near-term and long-term NASA Advanced Extravehicular Activity Pressure Garment development efforts. The near-term plan discusses the development of pressure garments components for the first design iteration of the International Space Station exploration space suit demonstration configuration, termed the xEMU Lite. The xEMU Lite effort is targeting a 2024/2025 flight demonstration timeframe. The FY18 tasks focuses on either the initiation or maturation of component design, depending on the state of development of the components, and the assembly of a suit configuration, termed Z-2.5, that will be used to evaluate changes to the upper torso geometry in a Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) test series. The geometry changes, which are being driven by the need to reduce the front-to-back dimension of the advanced extravehicular mobility unit, diverge from a proven shape, such as that of the Mark III Space Suit Technology Demonstrator. The 2018 efforts culminate in the Z-2.5 NBL test. The lessons learned from the Z-2.5 NBL test will inform the xEMU Lite design as the effort moves toward 2020 design verification testing and a critical design review in 2021. The long-term development plan looks to surface exploration and operations. Technology and knowledge gaps exist between the xEMU Lite configuration; a lunar surface capability, xEMU; and Mars surface suit, mEMU. The development plan takes into account both the priority and the anticipated development duration. The long-term development plan will be updated as risks are mitigated and gaps are closed, but its overarching structure will remain intact.Item Space Suit and Portable Life Support System Center of Gravity Influence on Astronaut Kinematics, Exertion and Efficiency(47th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2017-07-16) Sridhar, Siddharth; Stetz, Eric; McFarland, Shane; Schaffner, GrantNASA has conducted a number of investigations aimed at understanding the physiological and biomechanical effects of spacesuits under a variety of conditions. Though these investigations looked at metabolic rates, ground reaction forces, biomechanics, subjective workload and controllability feedback, there is little information on the influence of variations in the combined spacesuit and portable life support system (PLSS) center of gravity (CG) location on kinematics, exertion and efficiency during the performance of extravehicular activity (EVA) tasks. The work we present in this paper was aimed at developing a quantitative means of evaluating the influence of space suit and PLSS CG location on astronaut EVA task performance in terms of kinematics (joint angular ranges), exertion (joint torques and muscle forces), and efficiency (joint work performed). Four CG locations, representing approximate CG extremes for the NASA MK III and Z1 space suits, were evaluated using a combined experimental and computational approach. Three common EVA tasks were studied: object translation, climbing and walking.Item Testing Fit, Mobility, and Comfort of the Exploration Pressure Garment Subsystem (xPGS)(2023 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2023-07-16) Rhodes, Richard; Flaspohler, Christine; McFarland, Shane"The Exploration Pressure Garment Subsystem (xPGS) is an anthropomorphic spacesuit that allows crewmembers to conduct work in space. Key aspects of the crew’s ability to do work are the fit, comfort, and mobility of the spacesuit. NASA designed and executed a test series to evaluate the performance of the xPGS in multiple environments and with test subjects from across the anthropometric requirement range. The fit, mobility, and comfort testing was organized into three separate test series: Mobility Test Series #1 - xPGS Fitchecks; Mobility Test Series #2 - Vendor down selection; and Mobility Test Series #3 - xPGS Range of Motion (ROM)/xEVA Functional Task Performance. Each test series had specific objectives and was conducted in series. Mobility test series #1 focused on conducting fitchecks in a 1-g laboratory environment with test subjects from across the anthropometric requirement range. The objective of the test series was to verify a comfortable and functional fit for all test subjects, evaluate reach to key controls and tools, and evaluate nominal and off-nominal donning and doffing. Mobility test series #2 focused on down selecting the various suit softgoods and boot options to the final configuration that would be used for data collection in mobility test series #3. Mobility test series #3 involved both isolated and functional tasks performed in circuits to evaluate the suit’s performance. Test subjects were surveyed on their comfort and level of effort throughout task performance. The fit, mobility, and comfort testing of the xPGS was completed in May of 2022 with excellent feedback and results. Specific lessons learned from the suit’s performance, simulation quality, and test methodology will be provided."Item Validation Testing and Statistical Analysis of the Rotary Tumbler Fabric Abrasion Method(2024 International Conference on Environmnetal Systems, 2024-07-21) Jones, Robert J.; Abney,Morgan B.; Brady, Tim; Morris, Danielle; Wilson,Sara; Rhodes, Richard; McFarland, Shane; Funk, Andrew; Deaton, Anthoney ShawnThe Artemis space suit glove environmental protection garment (EPG) will be the first line of protection used to shield the crewmember�s hands from the environments encountered during extravehicular activity (EVA). As the Artemis missions will include more extreme environments than those experienced on the International Space Station, development, verification, and validation of gloves requires the development of new test methods. A previous paper focused on the development of a test procedure to characterize lunar EVA glove fabrics using ASTM standardized test methods and the design and validation of a new standardized test procedure for comparing abrasion resistance between fabrics using a dust and rock filled rotary tumbler. Preliminary results of testing were presented in the last paper. This paper reports on the validation testing and statistical analysis of the newly developed tumbler abrasion test method.