Space Suit Test and Validation

ISS has extensive experience in testing and qualifying prototype space suit technologies, raising technology readiness levels through application of a variety of analog testing environments with a variety of test subjects.

Intra-Vehicular Activity (IVA) Space Suit Test Environments: altitude chamber, parabolic (reduced gravity) flight facility, post-landing and egress laboratory, high-G aircraft, custom spacecraft simulations.

Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) Space Suit Test Environments: altitude chamber, parabolic (reduced gravity) flight facility, gravity-offload laboratory, neutral buoyancy laboratory, custom spacecraft simulations.

IVA space suits need to be designed to function adequately and protect the user in a wide range of post-landing contingency scenarios.
IVA space suits need to be designed to function adequately and protect the user in a wide range of post-landing contingency scenarios.
Many payloads involving human test subjects require mission-specic training to assure ight safety. For space suit evaluation, a trained team of six monitors every aspect of the test subject’s state-of-health, as well as critical support systems.
Many payloads involving human test subjects require mission-specic training to assure ight safety. For space suit evaluation, a trained team of six monitors every aspect of the test subject’s state-of-health, as well as critical support systems.
EVA Space Suits can be evaluated in various gravity environments through use of the ISS Gravity-Offload Laboratory, a 2-axis system enabling 8 meters of translation.
EVA Space Suits can be evaluated in various gravity environments through use of the ISS Gravity-Offload Laboratory, a 2-axis system enabling 8 meters of translation.

Pressure Vessel Technologies

ISS has successfully built and launched 12 customized pressure vessels for NASA-funded missions including PMC-Turbo and BALBOA. PMC-Turbo employed visual cameras from balloon to study noctilucent cloud structures in the mesosphere. BALBOA used infrared cameras to study the aurora.

Camera system designed for NASA's PMC-Turbo mission fitted with custom baffle.
Camera system designed for NASA's PMC-Turbo mission fitted with custom baffle.
Interior design of ISS Pressure Vessels designed for NASA"s PMC Turbo and BALBOA missions
Interior design of ISS Pressure Vessels designed for NASA"s PMC Turbo and BALBOA missions
ISS Pressure Vessels designed for NASA"s PMC Turbo and BALBOA missions
ISS Pressure Vessels designed for NASA"s PMC Turbo and BALBOA missions

Scientific Balloon Technologies

On smaller scales, short-duration balloons may be used repeatedly for a wide variety of scientific activities. ISS develops gyro-stabilized platforms with active tracking and pointing control to support imagery systems from aircraft and balloon platforms.

Customized balloon gondola for gyro-stabilized noctilucent cloud observations
Customized balloon gondola for gyro-stabilized noctilucent cloud observations