CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF A PURPOSE-BUILT 1-ATA SHALLOW WATER DIVING SUIT FOR MANNED-EVA TRAINING

THE AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR A ONE-ATMOSPHERE DIVING SUIT. SUCH A SUIT WILL BE SUITABLE FOR USE BY NASA AND HELP FULFILL ITS NEED FOR AN IMPROVED SYSTEM WITH WHICH TO CONDUCT EVA TRAINING EXERCISESIN A NEUTRAL BUOYANCY ENVIRONMENT. THE PROJECT WILL IDENTIFY THE DESIGN CRITERIA REQUIRED FOR SUPPORT OF THESE TRAINING ACTIVITIES, DEVELOP A LIST OF NECESSARY SUIT FUNCTIONS, SURVEY THE STATE OF THE ART AND EVALUATE IT FOR APPROPRIATENESS OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TO THIS PROJECT, AND DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR A WORKING PROTOTYPE. REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW MATERIALS WILL ALSO BE IDENTIFIED AND THEIR SUITABILITY EVALUATED. PHASE II DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS WILL BE OUTLINED. THIS PROJECT WILL BENEFIT NASA BY PROVIDING IT WITH MORE COST-EFFECTIVE USE OF TRAINING RESOURCES; IN ADDITION, THE USE OF A LESS EXPENSIVETRAINING SYSTEM AND FREEDOM FROM CURRENT PERSONNEL DECOMPRESSION LIMITATIONS WILL RESULT IN EXPANDED TRAINING TIME. ASTRONAUT-TRAINEES WILL BENEFIT DIRECTLY FROM GREATER COMFORT, INCREASED MOBILITY AND RANGE OF MOTION, AND GREATER SAFETY THROUGH FREEDOM FROM HYPERBARIC EXPOSURES. THE AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR A ONE-ATMOSPHERE DIVING SUIT. SUCH A SUIT WILL BE SUITABLE FOR USE BY NASA AND HELP FULFILL ITS NEED FOR AN IMPROVED SYSTEM WITH WHICH TO CONDUCT EVA TRAINING EXERCISESIN A NEUTRAL BUOYANCY ENVIRONMENT. THE PROJECT WILL IDENTIFY THE DESIGN CRITERIA REQUIRED FOR SUPPORT OF THESE TRAINING ACTIVITIES, DEVELOP A LIST OF NECESSARY SUIT FUNCTIONS, SURVEY THE STATE OF THE ART AND EVALUATE IT FOR APPROPRIATENESS OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TO THIS PROJECT, AND DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR A WORKING PROTOTYPE. REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW MATERIALS WILL ALSO BE IDENTIFIED AND THEIR SUITABILITY EVALUATED. PHASE II DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS WILL BE OUTLINED. THIS PROJECT WILL BENEFIT NASA BY PROVIDING IT WITH MORE COST-EFFECTIVE USE OF TRAINING RESOURCES; IN ADDITION, THE USE OF A LESS EXPENSIVETRAINING SYSTEM AND FREEDOM FROM CURRENT PERSONNEL DECOMPRESSION LIMITATIONS WILL RESULT IN EXPANDED TRAINING TIME. ASTRONAUT-TRAINEES WILL BENEFIT DIRECTLY FROM GREATER COMFORT, INCREASED MOBILITY AND RANGE OF MOTION, AND GREATER SAFETY THROUGH FREEDOM FROM HYPERBARIC EXPOSURES.