NASA seeks Constellation spacesuit ideas

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