EVA Systems

Introduction

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) systems include space suits, tools and support systems for performing extravehicular activities in space. Space suits are unique meticulously engineered, miniature, customized spacecraft. Space suits act as a protective barrier, providing life support, thermal regulation, and shielding against the vacuum of space. Whether conducting repairs, performing experiments, or exploring celestial bodies, EVA space suits are indispensable, allowing astronauts to venture beyond the confines of their spacecraft, ensuring their safety and enabling the successful execution of critical tasks in the challenging environment of space.  

The Johnson Space Center (JSC) features world class facilities and competencies to support the design, development, testing and verification, and implementation of Extravehicular Activity (EVA) systems. JSC personnel have a vast knowledge of the technical challenges associated with space suit technology, ranging from mobility, sizing, life support, ventilation, hydration, and waste management.  JSC experience covers the full life cycle, starting from basic design through development, testing, and operational support. Explore the trove of EVA system capabilities below, as we invite you to join us in the exciting journey of space exploration at the forefront of discovery.  

Technology and Development

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Suits 

Overview | JSC personnel have a vast knowledge of the technical challenges associated with space suit technology, including mobility, sizing, life support, ventilation, hydration, and waste management. JSC experience covers the full life cycle, starting from basic design through development, testing, and operational support. 

Details | Space suits are unique in that they are miniature, customized spacecraft. They must provide environmental protection, mobility, and life support to the crewmember during spacewalks. 

• Space suit design and development
• Pressure garment and glove design 
• Mobility and sizing 
• Helmet and visor design 
• Life support umbilical design 
• Suit maintenance and operations
• Portable life support technologies 
• Thermal control 
• Ventilation 
• Oxygen systems 
• Contaminant control
• Hydration 
• Waste control 
• Space suit testing, verification, and training 
• Suit checkout 
• Altitude testing
• Thermal vacuum testing 
• Flight crew training 
• System-level engineering insight into the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) hardware operational performance and detailed leadership into anomaly resolution 
• Real-time mission support for on-orbit activities 
• Ground training simulations for training and crew extraction from the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory and vacuum chamber facilities
• Engineering risk-based guidance for management, sustaining and changes of the EMU hardware and forecast for long-term hardware lifecycle usage 

Extra-vehicular Activity Tools 

Overview | JSC’s unique experience in Extra-vehicular Activity (EVA) tools covers the full hardware life cycle from worksite aids and restraints to unique tools for specialized maintenance and repairs. We cover the full spectrum of engineering space hardware from defining the problem to solve, to research and design, to rapid prototyping and development, to testing and operational support. 

Details |

Flight Hardware Development 

• Performance requirements and concept of operations development 
• Prototype development including use of rapid manufacturing and 3D printing 
• Fabrication, assembly, and testing 
• Thermal and thermal vacuum testing 
• Pressurized glove box testing
• Technology demonstrations 
• Certification and integration support 
• Pre–flight inspections, checkouts, packing and delivery for launch 

Softgoods and Materials Assessment 

Overview | The Softgoods Lab, under the supervision of the Engineering Design and Analysis Branch, designs, develops, and manufactures flight softgoods components. They also design and fabricate ground support, test, and prototype softgoods. The designers collaborate with project engineers to define the requirements for EVA and IVA projects and establish specifications to fulfill them. 

Details | The focus of the lab is developing customers’ needs and ideas into prototypes, which are then evaluated and customized to produce flight items that meet or exceed their requirements. The Advanced Materials Lab provides testing for developing & evaluating these materials for NASA & industry applications. This lab is equipped to evaluate materials, including textiles, coated structures, polymer films, foams, elastomers, papers, & adhesives.​ 

Space Suits and Exploration Operations Laboratory 

Overview | The Space Suits and Exploration Operations (SSEO) Laboratory technical area focuses on tasks needed to support optimal Human Health and Performance for extravehicular activities (EVA). SSEO provides operational support for International Space Station (ISS) EVA through support of EVA training activities including suited Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL) runs and EVA preparation classes that review and train pre-breathe procedures. Further support is provided through the participation in various interdisciplinary teams to review updates to flight rules, pre-breathe, and EVA procedures. This technical area also leads research efforts connected to EVA operations and the mitigation of decompression sickness before these EVA operations. 

Details | Tasks range from highly coordinated interdisciplinary suited research studies using EVA analogs, such as the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) and NBL, to the development of an EVA-simulation environment that uses hybrid reality and high-fidelity informatics to represent the physical and cognitive workload associated with EVA. 

• Develop, validate and conduct pre-breathe protocols for space suits 
• Conduct pre-breathe protocol training
• Perform Thermal chamber testing 
• Assess of metabolic cost of EVA during NBL training 
• Perform suit and life support system hardware development and testing (xEMU) in various suited environments (i.e., chambers, ARGOS, NBL, etc.) 
• Perform suited gait assessments and task analysis 

Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) 

Overview | The SAFER is a miniaturized backpack connected to the EMU spacesuit providing stabilization, thrust and maneuverability for crewmembers back to safety in case of an emergency during EVA activities on ISS. 

Details |

• Emergency/maneuverability hardware for an EVA crewmember providing self-rescue capability
• Miniaturized propulsion units (Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV)) 
• Electronic and software for guidance systems (Avionics/Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)) 
• Virtual reality simulation/training
• Design and testing 
• On orbit system management and maintenance 
• EVA console support 
• Verification & Validation 
• Flight Certification 

Training & Evaluation

EVA/ISS Airlock Training 

Overview | NASA JSC Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility (SVMF) can support suited Extravehicular Activity (EVA) crew training events. 

Details | ISS airlock mockup and EVA suit support capabilities combine to enable unique EVA donning/doffing training at the SVMF.

• EVA suit pressurization cart provides realistic pressurized breathable air to the crew in the SVMF environment 

Microgravity EVA Training 

Overview | The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) is used to train and refine EVA operations to ensure mission success during spacewalks. 

Details |

• Full-scale ISS modules with high-fidelity exteriors to support EVA training objectives
• Utilized to support mission planning, procedure development, hardware verification, and astronaut training 
• NBL suited events enable the crew to train and experience full duration end-to-end EVA operations 
• EVA crewmembers are weighed out to be neutrally buoyant to simulate the weightless environment of space 
• Safety, camera, and utility divers support suited training events to ensure safe and effective operations
• EVA tools and hardware are weighed out and optimized to minimize impact to the crewmembers training 
• An integrated process to support operations assessments, integration, test readiness, and execution 
• Extensive video, audio, and instrumentation capabilities support each training event 

Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) 

Overview | Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) is designed to simulate reduced gravity environments from earth gravity to microgravity. A continuous dynamic offload of a subject’s weight (or portion thereof) is maintained by a robotic motion control system that actively follows the subject’s motion within the system’s operational volume. ARGOS is capable of offloading humans (both in shirtsleeves and space suits), small rovers, and robots for testing, training, process development, and human research in simulated reduced gravity environments. 

Details | ARGOS 2 resembles an overhead bridge crane 41 x 24 x 25 feet in size. Sensors in the horizontal axes (X and Y) and vertical axis (Z) obtain displacement and force changes of the payload, allowing a computer-controlled winch to provide superimposed constant force offload above the payload’s center of mass. 

ARGOS 2 Specifications 

• 750lb offload capability
• 13’(X) x 30’(Y) x 15’(Z) workspace 
• System wide communication for test subjects and support teams 
• Motion tracking supported by ABF 
• NASA Space suit support supported by Crew and Thermal Systems Division 
• Pressurized breathing air
• Cooling water for suits 

Motion capabilities 

• Suited Configuration: 4 ft/s vertical, 6.5 ft/s horizontal 
• Unsuited configuration: 11 ft/s vertical, 6.5 ft/s horizontal  Variety of Gimbals (payload interfaces) to support suited, unsuited, and unmanned testing

Supported Test Types 

• Suited or unsuited 
• EVA in microgravity, Lunar, or Martian gravity environments 
• EVA tools, process development
• Biometric studies in reduced gravity environments 
• Robotic systems payloads New test types are possible 

Acoustics Environment Analysis (ANCL) 

Overview | The Johnson Space Center (JSC) Acoustics and Noise Control Laboratory (ANCL) ensures Safe, Healthy and Habitable Vehicle Acoustic Environments. The Acoustic Office is responsible for ensuring safe, healthy, and habitable vehicle acoustic environments, in which astronaut crews can live, communicate, and work. 

Details |

Acoustic Emissions Testing 

• Acoustic Flight Materials Development and Testing 
• Noise Diagnostics and Control 
• Acoustic Modeling 
• Reverberation Time Measurement 
• Acoustic Environment Demonstrations
• On-orbit Measurement and Monitoring 
• Quiet Fan Tool Development and Support 
• Transmission Loss Measurement 
• Acoustic Absorption Measurement 
• Space Suit Interior Acoustic Environment Assessments 

Human in the Loop Testing and Analog Mission Planning and Execution 

Overview | The Exploration Mission Planning Office (EMPO) at NASA JSC provides organizational expertise for analog mission planning and execution and integration of operational testing for space exploration. Human-in-the-loop (HITL) testing develops and assesses systems, innovations, and operational approaches to inform strategic architectural concept of operations decisions. 

Details | The Exploration Mission Planning Office at NASA JSC provides analog mission planning and execution of integrated operational testing for space exploration. Human-in-the-loop (HITL) testing capabilities include establishing and coordinating a multi-disciplinary approach for operational testing, integrating analysis and development components across NASA, and using the results of testing in relevant environments for closing technology, exploration, and science knowledge questions, gaps, and risks.

Additional Capabilities

Human Exploration Cross-Program Integration 

Overview | Within the Exploration Architecture, Integration and Science (EAIS) Directorate at JSC, the Exploration Development Integration Division (EDI) provides expertise in integrating complex human spaceflight programs across common missions and architectures. 

Details | The Exploration Development Integration Division (EDI) delivers systems engineering, cross-program integration, and operations integration support to the entire Moon to Mars enterprise, supporting all Artemis programs. EDI supports design, development and operational life cycle activities and provides integration in support of the Artemis Missions and the Moon to Mars enterprise. 

• Orion cross-program integration and crew systems integration 
• Gateway risk management and human rating support
• Human Landing System (HLS) cross-program integration and leadership of the Crew Compartment Program Office 
• Moon to Mars System Engineering and Integration support 

Human Exploration Program Formulation 

Overview | Within the Exploration Architecture, Integration and Science (EAIS) Directorate at JSC, the Exploration Development Integration (EDI) Division, provides expertise to human space flight programs for systems and program integration activities supporting program formulation, design, development, and operational life cycle activities. 

Details | The Exploration Development Integration Division (EDI) delivers systems engineering, cross-program integration, and operations integration support to the entire Moon to Mars enterprise, supporting all Artemis programs. EDI supports design, development and operational life cycle activities and provides integration in support of the Artemis Missions and the Moon to Mars enterprise.