Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
Design of a Self Don/Doffing Rear Entry Planetary Suit to Interface with a Suit Port/Lock, Phase I
Project Introduction
Under Phase 1 of subject SBIR, Air-Lock, Incorporated will design a self donning and doffing Rear Entry Hard Upper Torso (REHUT) that interfaces with a suit port. This design will allow suited, pressurized crewmembers to mate/demate their suits to/from suit ports located on lunar or planetary habitats, rovers, etc. This is a significant activity because it minimizes concerns over dust entering the habitat during crewmember entry/exit and it maximizes the habitat's working volume by eliminating the need for airlocks. For the purpose of this SBIR, the baseline architecture being will focus on NASA JSC's MK-III advanced spacesuit and the suit port being utilized by the Lunar Electirc Rover (LER).
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Anticipated Benefits
With the proposed commercial development of space stations, any invention that maximizes consumables will have added value. The design of a spacesuit that can be donned/doffed without the need for a large airlock will have added value to commercial habitats. The prototype self don/doff rear entry HUT resulting from the execution of Phase II will exhibit commercial appeal within NASA for advanced suit prototype (MK-III in particular) and future lunar/planetary suits. Potential NASA JSC customers include NASA EC and CSSS ESPO.
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air-Lock, Inc. | Lead Organization | Industry | Milford, Connecticut |
Johnson Space Center
(JSC)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Houston, Texas |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Connecticut
-
Texas
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Organizational Responsibility
Responsible Mission Directorate:
- Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)
Lead Organization:
- Air-Lock, Inc.
Responsible Program:
- Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
Project Management
Program Director:
Program Manager:
Principal Investigator:
Project Duration
Start: Feb 2011
End: Sep 2011
Technology Maturity (TRL)
| Start: | 2 |
| Current: | 3 |
| Estimated End: | 3 |
Applied Research
Development
Demo & Test
Technology Areas
Primary:
- TX06 Human Health, Life Support, and Habitation Systems
- TX06.2 Extravehicular Activity Systems
- TX06.2.1 Pressure Garment
Target Destinations
The Moon, Mars
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This is a historic project that was completed before the creation of TechPort on October 1, 2012. Available data has been included. This record may contain less data than currently active projects.