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 ACES suit = 70lb = $700,000 to orbit Roscosmos $8,000 / lb Sokolsuit = 20lb = $160,000 to orbit
Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (3) Cost-to-orbit SpaceX $4,000 / lb SpaceX suit =?lb = $? to orbit Pacific Spaceflight $4,000 / lb Mark VI suit = 10lb = $40,000 to orbit
Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (4) Suit Costs NASA $100,000 / unit for Modified ACES suit (David Clark Company) Roscosmos $50,000 / unit for Sokol suit (Roscosmos)
Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (5) Suit Costs SpaceX? (internal development underway) Pacific Spaceflight $1,000 goal
Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (6) Total Costs: A Suit to Orbit NASA suit + launch Roscosmos suit + launch SpaceX suit + launch Pacific Spaceflight 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 Spain A Col Emilio Herrera 1935+ Simulated to c. FL800 (thus high suit pressure) A. hard helmet B B. bellows / convolutes for constant volume C. anti-elongation cabling D. 3 hours at FL800 indicated no cold, rather heat was the issue C B 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 Custom-built convolute elbows PS Mark III Sewage hose or reinforced butyl drybox sleeves New Materials / Building Supplies performance same at high suit pressures
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. Sufficient for Launch-Entry suit. Set appropriate performance criteria.
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 Apollo Apollo 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 Custom-built convolute elbows Metal helmet Clutter of Ports Assumed needed! Assumed needed Redundant 02 System Assumed 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 Custom-built convolute elbows Metal helmet Clutter of Through-ports Assumed needed! Reducing Redundant 02 System Gone 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 Custom-built convolute elbows Metal helmet Clutter of Through-ports Assumed needed! Reducing Redundant 02 System Gone 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 Custom-built convolute elbows Metal helmet Clutter of Through-ports Gone! Two only Redundant 02 System Gone 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 convolute 2. elbows Test flights to high altitude = NASA method = CREDIBILITY.
Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (28) Now: Apollo AL7 suit Custom-built convolute elbows 3. Provide good technical test reports. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_qn6oexr8
Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (29) Now: Apollo AL7 suit Custom-built convolute elbows 4. Beat SPACEX!
Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (30) Now: Apollo AL7 suit Custom-built convolute elbows 5. Put Plans Online & Open-Source
Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight, Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit (31) Now: Apollo AL7 suit Custom-built convolute elbows 6. Eliminate the Launch-Entry Suit! 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