BioSuit SpaceSuit: Flexible, Thin Spacesuit

The BioSuit is a radical (and fashionable) redesign of the traditional bulky, Michelin Man-style spacesuit could revolutionize long-term space travel.

Dava Newman, along with colleague Jeff Hoffman, students and design firm Trotti and Associates, have been at this project for seven years. The prototypes are not yet ready for space travel, but their intent is to be ready for Mars missions in the next ten years.

Rather than being inflated, the suit relies on mechanical counter-pressure, which involves wrapping layers of material tightly around the body. Skintight but stretches with the body for freedom of movement - that's the trick.
The BioSuit will be better at dealing with punctures - wrap them with a bandage. BioSuits could also be engineered to vary in their resistance to astronaut movement, allowing them to exercise while in space.


SOURCE:
Technovelgy.com

I'm quite excited about this as the current spacesuits really just are'nt going to cut
it for future space missions.

A suit like this would be perfect since it looks to be so flexible that the only way you could
be more so is if you were nude.


Comments, Opinions?

Cool, ice skating suits from the Martian polar caps. I hope the helmet gets smaller....

Originally posted by DuncanIdahoGholem
Cool, ice skating suits from the Martian polar caps. I hope the helmet gets smaller....

Indeed, why even keep the bulky helmet? Couldn't we use one of those fully-enclosed hood designs like the haz-mat people wear?

This suit type from MIT was discussed a bit a couple of years back
here on ATS.

The gloves ought to be interesting, I wonder how well they will work and if they can use the same principle as the suit body - the article doesn't seem to touch on it and I haven't seen a protoype of the glove-set beyond a low-res pic and it doesn't seem to have a "hard-wrist"... and the suit-glove interface is very, very important particularly using the mechanical "lines of non-extension" principle to maintain the 30 KPa partial pressure.

I was surprised that the suit partial pressure is actually higher than the current EVA suits which run at about 20KPa. Glove "rubs" and hand strain are currently a problem at times with the Mark V gloves and astro's train and exercise their hands to handle this "load". The Mark VI gloves are supposed to be "better" but are not "flying" yet.

From the MIT MVL article here one can see the detail in the knee area of "the lines of non-extension" from the photo about mid-page. It is a very innovative solution.

Some say that overcoming the space-suit partial pressure during locomotion and movement is responsible for about 70% of the physical effort involved in EVA Ops so any reduction in this caloric expenditure could be a really good thing. I like this suit if they get a "good" body-glove and a good glove for the body - that would be handy.

I get the notion that the inner suit could be "sprayed on" or perhaps "printed out" from an electronic scan of the astro... and quite likely cheaper than a visit to Harry Rosen's for shirts.

Meanwhile - way, way, way up North on Devon Island the Haughton-Mars research continues testing the K-10 rover this week and some "hard-torso" suits... they were problematic last year and the Arthur Clarke Greenhouse seems to be working as advertised this year. For those with an interest the "Mars-On-Earth" Haughton-Mars on Devon Island crew has a website with blogs and cams at www.marsonearth.org...

A simulated stranded astro recovery scenario is in the works up on Devon and may yield some real-world insight into the value of the hard torso type suit and PLSS backpack.

Cheers,

Vic

I think the helmet has to do with being able to have enough access to oxygen and a thick enough piece of glass (or whatever material it may be) so that a rock doesn't smash through it.

Then again, it is just a prototype so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Originally posted by biggie smalls
I think the helmet has to do with being able to have enough access to oxygen and a thick enough piece of glass (or whatever material it may be) so that a rock doesn't smash through it.

Then again, it is just a prototype so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Yeah, I just like to think about potential improvements any time innovations are announced. As for the oxygen issue, divers can get enough oxygen for their needs with a relatively small mask. You do have a good point about impact damage (not just punctures, MMs can be going pretty fast and could break astronaut bones) especially from micrometeoroids, but if this is something to worry about, why not make the whole suit impact resistant?

Good point, it is a pretty goofy design. Then again, NASA scientists/designers are more worried about function than style.

Did you see the flip down visor? Kind of interesting...They should just make the lens on the space suit change from light/dark depending on exposure. Maybe in the future.

I like the easy fix repair though, just 'slap a bandage on.' Our astronauts are basically screwed if there's a rip or hole.

I think the whole suit is impact resistant.

Rather than being inflated, the suit relies on mechanical counter-pressure, which involves wrapping layers of material tightly around the body.

Sounds like the astronauts will be pretty snug. Its just like a bunch of padding, there's no reason to use metal. The new flak vests and dragon shells don't even have to use metal protection. I'm thinking we can use lightweight hemp (strong as steel if used properly) and other organic materials for the same protection. Easy fixes, that's what is necessary a billion miles from home.

[edit on 18-7-2007 by biggie smalls]

A bandage "wrap" does sound sensible as a field repair for an integrity issue doesn't it? There are some issues that could be problems... dust contamination of the repair-sealing area and pressure loss "icing" come to mind. Suits expel gas when they leak, ever used duct tape to repair a damaged tire and tube in the field?

Apply the tape from the outside and all the compressed air in the air-pig is soon gone - but apply the tape on the inside of the vessel creatively and voila - a temporary but far less leaky fix.

At the Mars Society's '05 spacesuit symposium some really interesting repairs were discussed. Contractile polymer cuffs (like an aneroid BP cuff or "shrink wrap") but made of smart-fibers seems doable as the chemistry does exist and balances the suit out-gas pressure.

The one I found interesting was a "self-healing" internal layer - in which escaping gas activates a chemical process that creates a plug - not unlike some of those icky tire repair goo products.

Suit damage and wear will for the foreseeable future be a problem too, the amount of preparation and post-EVA servicing are currently far longer than the actual EVA time. A suit manufacturing "machine" or device would be an asset for extended stays... maybe a cross between a Juki automated seamstress and some sort of RP printer?

The Biosuit helmet puts me in mind of the Porche design MC helmets from around '79 or '80 that was featured in the Mike Nesmith movie "Time Rider". Much of the "room" in a helmet is for two reasons - sight lines and anti-fogging as a spacesuit is a micro-climate and experiences "weather".

One can run a higher percentage of Oh-Two to dehumidify or dry the air but that has problems too - like having your hair catch on fire after extended exposure rather easily do to oxygen "soak". I'm kidding but it is true. One reason why asto's eat "large" after EVA is partly due do breathing Oh-Two in concentration - you "burn" more Kcals even at "idle".

I'd imagine the helmet is polycarb and lexan like the current US hardware. Variable tint photo-sensitive visors have been around for a while... and continue to be developed. The US Air Force contracted for some "work" not that long ago, try Googling "AF06-019 TITLE: Photosensitive Visor for Flight Helmets". I think they mention something about use in civilian agency space helmets... a link.

Current "smart" welding masks have amazing visors - tunable and fast.

There's a pretty good "History of Space Suits" article at astronautix.com that I found when looking for the antique Litton RX-1 hardsuit. it can be found here.

For future heavy construction in open space, where risk of damage due to MM's/debris/accidental "bumps" is high, I'd not be surprised to see some hard suits not unlike the "JIM", "NEWT" or "WASP" diving suits. Not very flexible/versatile but very, very strong.

BTW: An ISS spacewalk is coming up on the 23rd, 'prepping the suits on NASA-TV right now in fact.

Cheers,

Vic

[edit on 18-7-2007 by V Kaminski]

I think that for future space construction what would be best is an exoskeleton instead of a suit. I believe that such a system equipped with powered tools and implements could overcome the flexibility issues.

Hmm does that come in gray with tinted lenses?

Originally posted by uberarcanist
I think that for future space construction what would be best is an exoskeleton instead of a suit. I believe that such a system equipped with powered tools and implements could overcome the flexibility issues.

Wouldn't an exoskeleton be a 'suit' ??

no, it would have a suit inside to protect the wearer, but outside it would have a skeleton which would need to be highly dextrous.

This is to overcome the disabilities a person wearing a spacesuit has when operating small tools.

Anyway, i'd imagine that wrapping a bandage around a damaged part of the suit is completly temporary, basically allowing you time to get back to the ship and replace or repair the suit.

I like the idea of the thin flexible suit. Then it could be complimented by some as required external components that don't have to be airtight. Added armour and traction boots for lunar excursions. Jet pack style add-on for EVA. Light abrasion resistant coveralls for general use. Even your standard mechanics coveralls with roller blade knee and elbow protectors would be an acceptable additioon.

The new spacesuit for Ares is going back to Apollo-style tethered umbilical suits. I expect that weight is the consideration but umbilical suits do have advantages... and some disadvantages. I think the suit news was announced this week in amongst a bunch of other NASA news.

Did you know that astro's have a real problem with bacteria in their gloves? Some astro's who've gone EVA in same gloves without disinfection have had infections develop under the fingernails when the nail was pulled away from from it's nail bed cranking on tools. This has been a problem since Apollo. The new Mark VI US glove is made with this consideration in mind having a design more easily disinfected and an inner surface that the sizing pads added can stick to better as "rubs" do happen. Ever had an old pair of mutant-stinky hockey gloves, drop 'em and bust a knuckle? Blood poisioning awaits... long course of anti-biotics.

The new Ares suit should be available in concept art form soon. The Lunar EVA suit is yet to be announced but should be "around" in the next couple of years.

Cheers,

Vic