Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit

Cameron M Smith, PhD Dept. of Anthropology, Portland State University & Pacific Spaceflight Oregon Institute of Technology, May 2016

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (1)

Cost-to-orbit

NASA $10,000 / lb Roscosmos $8,000 / lb ACES suit = 70lb Sokolsuit = 20lb = $700,000 to orbit = $160,000 to orbit Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (3)

Cost-to-orbit

SpaceX $4,000 / lb Pacific $4,000 / lb SpaceX suit = ?lb Spaceflight Mark VI suit = 10lb = $? to orbit = $40,000 to orbit Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (4)

Suit Costs

NASA $100,000 / unit for Roscosmos $50,000 / unit for Modified ACES suit Sokol suit (David Clark Company) (Roscosmos) Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (5)

Suit Costs

SpaceX ? Pacific $1,000 goal (internal development underway) Spaceflight

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (6)

Total Costs: A Suit to Orbit

Pacific NASA Roscosmos SpaceX Spaceflight suit + launch suit + launch suit + launch suit + launch

= $800,000 = $210,000 = ? = c. $40,000 Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (7)

These costs are still too high!

But we must start somewhere.

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (8)

Radically Reducing Suit Costs:

*‘design by taxpayer’

* phobia of of failure

* military-industrial-political Old Boy Networks  UNEXAMINED CONTRACTS

* ignorance of public

* obfuscation and misinformation by space agencies

‘only we can do it’

* propagation of RSF by space agencies

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (9)

The Right Stuff Fallacy

Space access is for the chisel-chinned space hero, only NASA can do it.

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (10)

DISMANTLING The Right Stuff Fallacy

Many worldwide now dismantling this exclusive approach. e.g. Copenhagen Suborbitals

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (11)

DISMANTLING The Right Stuff Fallacy

Many worldwide now dismantling this exclusive approach. e.g. Bigelow Aerospace

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (12)

DISMANTLING The Right Stuff Fallacy

Many worldwide now dismantling this exclusive approach. e.g. Final Frontier Design

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (13)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

Learn from >50 years of archived NASA Technical Report Server

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (14)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

Learn from >50 years of archived NASA Mission Reports and Flight Plans

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (15)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

Learn from >50 years of archived NASA Mission Reports and Flight Plans

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (16)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

‘Escafandra Estratonautica ’ A Spain

Col Emilio Herrera 1935+

Simulated to c. FL800 (thus high suit pressure)

B A. hard helmet

B. bellows / convolutes for constant volume

C. anti-elongation cabling

D. 3 hours at FL800 indicated C no cold, rather heat was the issue

Learn from >50 years of pressure suit design & testing

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (17)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

Apollo AL7 suit PS Mark III

Custom-built Sewage hose or convolute elbows reinforced butyl drybox sleeves

performance same at high suit pressures New Materials / Building Supplies

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (18)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

Apollo AL7 suit

Custom-built convolute elbows

Learn from the Pros! M. Mosely, 44 years a Boeing Project Gemini space suit technician. “This all looks exactly right.”

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (19)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

Apollo AL7 suit

Custom-built convolute elbows

PS Mark III

Testing in-house

Get results to NASA Gemini levels. Set appropriate performance criteria. Sufficient for Launch-Entry suit. Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (20)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

Apollo AL7 suit

Custom-built convolute elbows Parachute & 10 min 02 supply

Eliminate, of course, costly & weighty extras.

Set appropriate performance criteria. NASA employee: “Nobody ever expected that to work for the Shuttle.”

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (21)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

ApolloApollo AL7 suit

Custom-built convolute elbows ISS

Eliminate, of course, costly & weighty extras.

Set appropriate performance criteria. PS Mark IV

Extremely high-dexterity glove not required for Return-to-Earth scenarios.

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (22)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

Apollo AL7 suit

Custom-built convolute elbows

Reiterate & Rebuild

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (23)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

Apollo AL7 suit Metal helmet Assumed needed! Custom-built convolute elbows Clutter of Assumed Ports needed

Redundant 02 Assumed System needed

Heavy boots Assumed needed

Mark I

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (24)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

Apollo AL7 suit Metal helmet Assumed needed! Custom-built convolute elbows Clutter of Reducing Through-ports

Redundant 02 Gone System

Elbow mobility Improved

Mark II

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (25)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

Apollo AL7 suit Metal helmet Assumed needed! Custom-built convolute elbows Clutter of Reducing Through-ports

Redundant 02 Gone System

Elbow mobility Improved w/ slimmer convolutes

Suit Pressure Gauge Gone

Mark III

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (26)

Radically Reducing Cost of the Launch-Entry Garment

Apollo AL7 suit Metal helmet Gone!

Custom-built convolute elbows Clutter of Two only Through-ports

Redundant 02 Gone System

Elbow mobility Improved w/ yet again slimmer convolutes

Mark IV

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (27)

Now:

Apollo AL7 suit 1. Continue designing, building, testing. Custom-built convolute2. elbowsTest flights to high altitude = NASA method = CREDIBILITY.

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (28)

Now:

Apollo AL7 suit 3. Provide good technical test reports. Custom -built https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A_QN6OEXr8convolute elbows Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (29)

Now:

Apollo AL7 suit 4. Beat SPACEX! Custom -built convolute elbows Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (30)

Now:

Apollo AL7 suit 5. Put Plans Online & Open-Source Custom -built convolute elbows Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (31)

Now:

Apollo AL7 suit 6. Eliminate the Launch-Entry Suit! Custom -built convolute elbows

“Sometimes the best aeroplane is no aeroplane.” Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (32)

Thanks for your attention!

Apollo AL7 suit

Custom-built convolute elbows

pacificspaceflight.com