The extravehicular mobility unit: A review of environment, requirements, and design changes in the US spacesuit

Self-perspiration garment for extravehicular activity improves skin cooling effects without raising humidity

“…The current U.S. space suit, extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) is pressurized with 100% oxygen at 0.29 atm (220 mmHg or 29.6 kPa) during EVA [1,2]. According to the pressure differential between the inside and outside of EMU, the flexibility of the suit and therefore mobility is lowered, and the activity must be hard exercise [3].…”

Development and Evaluation of a Glove for Extravehicular Activity Space Suit without Prebreathing

“…Considering the pressurized space-suit glove, the structure surrounding the finger joint can be approximated by an inflatable fabric tube subjected to a bending moment from the hand. With the simple model, the maximum bending resistance of the glove is equal to πpr 3 , where p is pressure differential between inside and outside of the glove, and r is the radius of the radius glove section [7]. Thus, higher pressurization and glove size are dominant factors in glove mobility if the material and the length are the same.…”

“…The current United States space suit, called an extravehicular mobility unit (EMU), is pressurized with 100% oxygen at 0.29 atm (4.3 psi or 29.6 kPa) during EVA [3]. According to the law of partial pressure, the oxygen pressure is 0.21 atm (3.1 psi or 21.3 kPa) on Earth and in the International Space Station because the partial pressure of oxygen is 21% in the air, and normal atmospheric pressure is 1 atm.…”

Cyber-Physical Challenges for Space Systems

“…We have studied a simplified version of this human-robot interaction challenge in a laboratory setting where a robot manipulator and human have the potential to interfere with the other's flow of information (e.g., through visual occlusion) and/or to physically block the other's motion to a goal worksite. [32] While visual occlusion and manipulator blockage are physical workspace constraints, effective collection, processing, and communication of information among agents with simultaneous consideration of their physical worksite is a CPS challenge.…”

“…[32] Traditional spacesuits substantially restrict astronaut motion and limited visibility, mostly designed to provide redundant life support functions including maintaining a reasonable temperature through active cooling and circulating a breathable atmosphere at a life-sustaining pressure inside the suit. While the astronaut provides the primary "actuation" for mobility and manipulation, the spacesuit is filled with sensors to monitor and communicate vital statistics that convey a sense of the astronaut's current and expected health.…”