Browsing by Author "Southern, Theodore"

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Advanced Testing of an Intravehicular Activity Space Suit
(49th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2019-07-07) Southern, Theodore; Moiseev, Nikolay
Final Frontier Design (FFD) has continued development and testing of their Intra-Vehicular Activity (IVA) space suit. This paper presents testing and analysis in preparation for human rating of the IVA suit, including human testing in high fidelity flight-like environments, as well as a summary of an Oxygen Compatibility Assessment (OCA), mechanisms review of our Automatic Pressure Regulator (APR), and vacuum chamber testing of FFD’s APR. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved human testing of our suit for water egress took place in April 2018 at Survival Systems in Groton, CT, including 12 test subjects and drop scenarios from both parachute and capsule, in collaboration with Integrated Spaceflight Services. IRB approved microgravity flight testing continued for our 4th year with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), also with Integrated Spaceflight Services. Four microgravity flights were completed with NRC, utilizing our IVA suit in pressurized operations. Our Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA JSC supported an OCA conducted by engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as well as a physical review of our automatic pressure regulator with MSFC engineers. Fabric weld strength testing of our pressure garment was conducted with assistance from Northeastern University. Finally, a high fidelity depressurization test of our suit system in simulation, inside a large vacuum chamber was conducted to validate the operation of FFD’s APR.
Assessment of Commercial Extravehicular Space Suit Kinematic Performance
(2024 International Conference on Environmnetal Systems, 2024-07-21) Rhoades, Jesse; De León, Pablo; Crisman, Keith; Mangle, Komal; Southern, Theodore; Moiseev, Nikolay
Mobility performance capability of Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) space suits will be critical for future planetary exploration missions. Paragon Space Development Corporation (Paragon) has developed a commercial EVA space suit prototype. The Human Spaceflight Laboratory of University of North Dakota (UND) conducted kinematic motion research of Paragon's EVA space suit. Thirteen test subjects, seven females and six males, participated in UND kinematic research of the Paragon EVA space suit. Test subjects volunteered for the study with an average age of 23.5 years, height of 172.3 cm, and weight of 71.8 kg. Each participant performed a series of movements in unsuited condition and then in the space suit under differential pressure. The movements involved flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and index and middle fingers. Work envelopes were defined for the Paragon EVA space suit upper limbs. Kinematic data was measured using a 58-point reflective marker set. Test subjects' movements were recorded with a ten-camera Vicon Motion Capture System. Data were processed using Vicon Nexus 2.16 and Procalc 1.6 software. Joint center locations were determined using the Score and Sara geometric sphere method. Specialized MATLAB scripts were employed for calculating work envelopes. During the research it was found that the work envelope at the suit shoulder was equal to or superior to previously examined suits. Paragon's EVA suit range of motion was equal to or superior to previous examinations of pressurized EVA suits. This study presented the first work envelope measurements for wrist and thumb joints. UND offers novel methods for gathering space suit kinematic motion data.
Commercial EVA Space Suit System Development
(49th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2019-07-07) Southern, Theodore; Moiseev, Nikolay
Final Frontier Design (FFD) is in development of their EVA space suit system. The philosophy is to develop a simple, light weight, low cost, and limited use EVA system with a maximum use of 20 EVAs and no return-to-Earth life cycle. FFD’s EVA space suit has a rear entry hatch, with a soft upper torso and soft adjustable limb joints. A complete pressure garment and outer garment enclosure prototype has been patterned and fabricated, defining baseline sizing, interfaces with bearings, geometry of the torso and helmet, and materials configurations. Bearing analogs have been included in the enclosure for future integration. The ventilation system of the enclosure has been included, utilizing built in arm and leg tubing and a 3D printed helmet ventilation manifold, and a pressure relief valve. A unique liquid cooling garment (LCG) has been developed and fabricated for use with the suit, using fabric panels with specialized flat water channels that can increase surface area and efficiency of the heat exchange. The prototype LCG and enclosure is intended to be used as a test bed for system interfaces and for training development. Additionally, a breadboard, closed-loop personal life support system (PLSS) has been designed and fabricated utilizing commercial off the shelf (COTS) components wherever possible. The PLSS includes an oxygen rebreather loop that removes heat, humidity, and CO2 from the breathing gas, and a water cooling system for the LCG. The PLSS uses a unique 3D printed sublimator plate assembly to reject heat to the vacuum from both the breathing gas loop and the water loop. The PLSS has been tested using a human respiration analog. A test program utilizing a space station breadboard and EVA tools is in development. With the enclosure and the PLSS, FFD aims to create a commercially focused, complete EVA system.
Developing a Standardized Testing Protocol for Space Suit Gloves
(45th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2015-07-12) Newton, Carolyn E.; Kring, Jason P.; Southern, Theodore; Moiseev, Nikolay
The US and Russian space programs have made remarkable improvements in space suit gloves from the days of Gagarin and Shepherd. Nevertheless, greater advancements are needed to increase dexterity, tactility, and comfort, particularly as the population of space travelers becomes more diverse. To support this evolution in glove design, a standardized approach to evaluation and testing is needed that is 1) efficient, to allow for larger samples of the population, 2) consistent, for comparisons across different variants and glove styles, and 3) combines quantitative and qualitative data, to capture performance and perceptions of a particular glove. To this end, we developed a preliminary glove testing protocol, based on existing metrics, and evaluated this protocol in a laboratory setting. The protocol involved 3 tasks to assess dexterity and tactility (Lafayette Purdue Pegboard Test, Lafayette Hand Tool Dexterity Test, rope-tying task). A hand dynamometer was also used to measure grip over the course of each data collection session. Grip strength measures were paired with semi-structured interviews in assessing glove comfort. During a one hour session, participants (N = 25) between the ages of 18-36 (M = 23) completed the four tasks barehanded and while wearing intravehicular (IVA) gloves from Final Frontier Design (FFD). In addition, we collected basic hand measurements and subjective feedback on comfort, function, fit, and overall satisfaction with the gloves. As expected, results indicated significant decreases in dexterity when wearing gloves. For the Purdue Pegboard test, participants performed significantly better in this test when they were barehanded. Likewise, for the Hand Tool test, it required 22.6 seconds longer to connect washers and bolts than in the barehanded condition. In addition, grip strength for both hands decreased an average of 11.26 kg, suggesting an increase in fatigue. Lastly, subjective feedback suggested a majority of participants desired greater tactile feel in the fingertips. Results of this study suggest a relatively low-cost, efficient, and standardized testing protocol for space suit gloves can be administered in one hour, allowing for data collection from larger samples than is typical for usability testing. Our next steps are to apply this same protocol for pressurized gloves and conduct comparative testing of several glove types.
IVA Space Suit Flight Qualification
(51st International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/10/2022) Southern, Theodore; Moiseev, Nikolay
Final Frontier Design has continued development work of an advanced Intra-Vehicular Activity space suit in preparation for flight qualification. The Automatic Pressure Regulation System was tested and validated at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center vacuum chambers for high fidelity functionality in a variety of flight depressurization scenarios. High pressure tests and additional restraints allow an increase to 5 psid operational pressure. Two rounds of offgas testing have been performed, with a conclusion that the suit requires a bakeout prior to human use to reduce overall T levels. Custom bearings have been added at the wrists to improve manual capabilities. Vent tree tubing and interfaces were optimized for flow, comfort, and flexibility. Requirement validations for a variety of missions are being satisfied.
Range of Motion Evaluation of a Final Frontier Design IVA Spacesuit using Motion Capture
(49th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2019-07-07) Kobrick, Ryan; Lopac, Nicholas; Covello, Chase; Fornito Ii, Michael; Banner, Benjamin; Southern, Theodore; Moiseev, Nikolay
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Spacesuit Utilization of Innovative Technology Laboratory (S.U.I.T. Lab) is focused on improving human performance in spaceflight by concentrating on spacesuit research for intravehicular activities (IVA) and extravehicular activities (EVA). The design and execution of range of motion (ROM) protocols in an experimental setting will provide insight on the functions and restrictions of spacesuits, aiding in current and future designs or modification. The S.U.I.T. Lab worked with Final Frontier Design (FFD) to provide a quantitative analysis protocol for seated arm mobility of their NASA Flight Opportunities Program (FOP) IVA spacesuit. The lab used reflective tracking markers on three test subjects and recorded a set of arm ROMs using OptiTrack’s infrared motion capture system including: shoulder abduction/adduction; vertical and horizontal shoulder flexion/extension; and vertical and horizontal full-arm carveouts. All motions were recorded in three spacesuit conditions including: unsuited; suited unpressurized; and suited pressurized (2.5 psid). Motion capture data was edited and filtered for mobility analysis calculations. Programs were developed in MATLAB to analyze and plot angular metrics as well as three-dimensional reach envelopes. These programs allow the spacesuit manufacturer to visualize the mobility of their spacesuit design and associate qualitative mobility characteristics with quantitative results in the form of angular and volumetric data. The percentages of mobility retained between all spacesuit conditions reveal a quantifiable reduction in mobility going from unsuited to suited unpressurized to suited pressurized. Based off the performance of this investigation, FFD gathered preliminary data regarding the mobility of their NASA FOP spacesuit. Improvements to the equipment and protocol used by the lab for motion capture and analysis have been implemented since this study. Expanding from four to nine motion capture cameras, the lab has been able to capture spacesuit mobility data with far greater accuracy and completeness. ...(read more)