NASA seeks Constellation spacesuit ideas
Published: Oct. 2, 2007 at 11:29 AM
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is seeking ideas for a new type of spacesuit.
NASA wants to award a Constellation spacesuit system contract for design, development, testing, evaluation and production of a spacesuit that will support astronauts aboard the Orion crew exploration vehicle. Orion will carry astronauts on trips to explore the moon and support the space station during the next decade.
NASA said the suit and support systems must enable protection against spacecraft cabin leaks and provide contingency spacewalk capability. For short lunar exploration sorties, the suit also must support a week's worth of moon walks in one-sixth gravity.
Potentially, the system will support multiple spacewalks during six-month lunar outpost stays, NASA said.
Prospective contractors are being asked to develop a system that minimizes mass, volume and carry weight while still maintaining flexibility and modularity to allow for efficient incorporation of future upgrades.
The cost-plus-award-fee contract is expected to be announced next June.
The formal request for Constellation Spacesuit System proposals can be viewed at http://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/csss
NASA wants to award a Constellation spacesuit system contract for design, development, testing, evaluation and production of a spacesuit that will support astronauts aboard the Orion crew exploration vehicle. Orion will carry astronauts on trips to explore the moon and support the space station during the next decade.
NASA said the suit and support systems must enable protection against spacecraft cabin leaks and provide contingency spacewalk capability. For short lunar exploration sorties, the suit also must support a week's worth of moon walks in one-sixth gravity.
Potentially, the system will support multiple spacewalks during six-month lunar outpost stays, NASA said.
Prospective contractors are being asked to develop a system that minimizes mass, volume and carry weight while still maintaining flexibility and modularity to allow for efficient incorporation of future upgrades.
The cost-plus-award-fee contract is expected to be announced next June.
The formal request for Constellation Spacesuit System proposals can be viewed at http://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/csss
© 2007 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
» Next in Science:
Leptin is linked with insulin secretion
This undated NASA image shows two galaxies that are slowly colliding and possibly, in hundreds of millions of years, only one galaxy will remain. Although it is likely that no stars in the two galaxies will directly collide, the gas, dust and ambient magnetic fields do interact directly. These galaxies, part of the vast Hydra-Centaurus supercluster of galaxies, spans over 100 thousand light-years across and is located about 100 million light-years away. (UPI Photo/NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage)
NASA image shows galaxies that will slowly collide
Full Photo
| Slideshow
Latest Headlines
Most Popular