StratEx Pressure Suit Assembly Design and Performance

Date

2015-07-12

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

45th International Conference on Environmental Systems

Abstract

In October of 2014 Dr. Alan Eustace used a state-of-the-art Pressure Suit Assembly to ascend to the top of the stratosphere beneath a large plastic balloon and sky dive back to Earth. The Pressure Suit Assembly (PSA) was a key part of the overall StratEx flight system housing the pilot, providing life support and supplying a parachute recovery system. The PSA consists of three major subassemblies: the pressure suit, the Equipment Module (EM) and the parachute pack. The PSA not only provided a safe environment for the pilot during the mission, but also housed avionics and communications equipment. This paper will cover the components of the Pressure Suit Assembly with a focus on the major components and architecture of the life support system and the overall structure of the system which ultimately came to be viewed as a mini spacecraft carrying a one-man crew, fully exposed, to a part of our atmosphere completely unexplored for any substantial period of time prior to these flights.

Description

Bellevue, Washington
Jared Leidich, World View Enterprises, USA
Zane Maccagnano, World View Enterprises, USA
Dan McFatter, World View Enterprises, USA
G. Ryan Lee, ILC Dover, LP, USA
Norman Hahn, Paragon Space Development Corporation, USA
The 45th International Conference on Environmental Systems was held in Bellevue, Washington, USA on 12 July 2015 through 16 July 2015.

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