Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Artist concept of Single-Person Spacecraft in use at the International Space Station.
Credit: Genesis Engineering Solutions

Creative and novel work is underway to create a Single-Person Spacecraft (SPS).

Genesis Engineering Solutions of Lanham, Maryland has highlighted their recent underwater, neutral buoyancy tests for an SPS at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Neutral buoyancy is a proven way to simulate the weightless space environment and the center has an Astronaut Training Facility ideally suited for that type of testing.

Right “glug” stuff

Unlike precise fitting space suits, the Single-Person Spacecraft is a one-size-fits-all vehicle. Therefore, it was necessary to use a range of different sized test subjects to represent the astronaut population.

Overall view of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Astronaut Training Facility with SPS hardware installed.
Credit: Genesis Engineering Solutions

Twenty four underwater male and female “astronauts” — measuring from 5 foot, 3 inches to 6 foot, 3.5 inches in height — participated in three days of testing.

To provide complete test documentation, all operations were video recorded using two fixed cameras and another operated by a scuba diver in the water.

Following the tests each test astronaut completed an evaluation form then participated in a post-test briefing with the entire team.

Any-time access to space

According to Genesis Engineering Solutions (GES), historically, less than 20 percent of crew time related to extravehicular activity (EVA) is spent on productive external work.

For planetary operations space suits are still the logical choice; however, for safe and rapid access to the weightless environment, spacecraft offer compelling advantages.

The Single-Person Spacecraft, points out GES, is a concept that enables any-time access to space for short or long excursions by different astronauts.

Test subjects represented various operator heights within an underwater SPS test rig.
Credit: Genesis Engineering Solutions

Shirtsleeve cockpit

Here are some key SPS attributes, explains a company statement. For example:

— SPS does not require the pre-breathing time because it operates at the same cabin atmosphere as its host.

— Compared to the space suit pure oxygen environment, a mixed gas atmosphere lowers the fire risk and allows use of conventional materials and systems.

— For getting to the worksite, integral propulsion replaces hand-over-hand translation or having another crew member operate the robotic arm. This means less physical exertion and more time at the work site.

— In case of an emergency, SPS can return from the most distant point on ISS in less than a minute.

— Because SPS is a vehicle, its design offers better radiation and micro-meteoroid protection than space suits.

— The shirtsleeve cockpit uses conventional displays and controls which means the work is not strenuous, there is no suit trauma and rest days are not required.

Check out this video on the August underwater test activities at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLFpLRK-iiU&feature=youtu.be