Suited for Spacewalking pdf - Virtual Astronaut

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Exploration BriefBending Under PressureContextMaintaining proper pressure inside a spacesuit isessential to astronaut survival during a spacewalk. Alack of pressure will cause body fluids to turn to gas,and resulting in death in a few seconds.While makingspacewalks possible, pressure produces its ownproblems. An inflated spacesuit can be very difficultto bend. In essence, a spacesuit is a balloon with anastronaut inside.The rubber of the balloon keeps inoxygen that is delivered to the suit from pressurizedoxygen tanks in the backpack. But, as pressureinside the balloon builds up, the balloon’s wallsb e c ome stiff, making normal bending motion simpossible. Lack of flexibility defeats the purposeof the spacewalk–mobility and the ability to dowork in space.Spacesuit designers have learned that strategicallyplaced breaking points at appropriate locations outsidethe pressure bladder (the balloon-like layerinside a spacesuit) makes the suit become morebendable.The breaking points help form joints thatbend more easily than unjointed materials. Othertechniques for promoting bending include stitchingfolds into the restraint layer that spread apart andcontract with bending and building joints into therestraint layer like ribs on vacuum cleaner hoses.Objective• To observe how an external joint in a spacesuitarm segment increases bendability of the segment.Materials and Tools ChecklistTwo long balloons3 heavy-duty rubber bandsProcedureS tep 1. I n f l a te a long balloon and tie it off. The ba l l o o nre p resents the pre s s u re bl ad d er of a spacesuit arm .Let students try to bend the balloon in the middle.S tep 2. I n f l a te a second long ba l l o o n .As you are inflat -ing the ba l l o o n ,slip heavy - d u ty ru b b er ba n d so ver the balloon at intervals so that as inflationcontinues the balloon is pinched by the ru b b erba n d s . It is easier to accomplish this by pre -inflating the ba l l o o n . It may be necessary tod o u ble the ru b b er band to pinch the ba l l o o nenough for the demonstra t i o n . Have stu d e n t sc o m p a re the force re q u i red for bending this ba l -loon with the force needed for the first ba l l o o n .Suited for Spacewalking An Activity Guide for Technology Education, Mathematics, and Science, EG-1998-03-112-HQ • 8 7
Extensions• Compare the stiffness of the balloons to otherinflated structures such as air mattresses, innertubes, beach balls, etc.• Use a Slinky® as an alternative to the rubberbands. Place the Slinky® on a desk top and pickup one end. Slip in the balloon and inflate it. Asthe balloon inflates, it will be pinched in a spiralpattern by the Slinky®. The pattern will achievethe same result as the rubber bands.8 8 • Suited for Spacewalking An Activity Guide for Technology Education, Mathematics, and Science, EG- 1 9 9 8 - 0 3 - 1 1 2 - H Q
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National Aeronauticsand Space Admin
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National Education StandardsThe act
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National Mathematics StandardsNatio
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M e a s u r e m e n tThis activity
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need to be able to move arms, hands
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out in the vacuum of space.Dissolve
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Project MercuryEarly spacesuit desi
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to occur for the first time. As wit
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crew, an additional portable heat s
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and reentry, special orange-colored
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The SCU contains lines for power, c
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17.Communications Carrier Assembly
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settings to be read. Setting number
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digital display on the chest-mounte
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Astronaut Joe Tanner works on the H
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humidity when oxygen is flowing fro
Page 36 and 37: The problem of picking up rocks and
Page 38 and 39: Bruce McCandless II pilots the MMU
Page 40 and 41: Mark C.Lee test flies the Simplifie
Page 42 and 43: STS-76 astronaut Michael R. Cliffor
Page 44 and 45: Spacesuit technicians test the mobi
Page 46 and 47: Future spacewalkers will roam the s
Page 48 and 49: Introduction:The steps spacesuit en
Page 50 and 51: Design BriefC o n t ex t :Spacesuit
Page 52 and 53: Interface Control DocumentPage 1 Of
Page 54 and 55: Pulley close-upviewthe buck e t . T
Page 56 and 57: to them. Use a metric ruler for mea
Page 58 and 59: steel would make an excellent micro
Page 60 and 61: d ay or tw o, Ap o llo spacesuit ma
Page 63 and 64: Sleeve and Leg TesterInflated segme
Page 65 and 66: ity alone.If a scale were present,
Page 67 and 68: Exploration BriefMicrometeoroids an
Page 69 and 70: InvestigationPotato Astronaut—Par
Page 71 and 72: Exploration BriefKeeping Your CoolC
Page 73 and 74: AssessmentHave students design a gr
Page 75 and 76: InvestigationInsulating LayersIn th
Page 77 and 78: e nv i ronment experienced in Earth
Page 79 and 80: Arm Range of Movement Data SheetSub
Page 81 and 82: Body Size Range MeasurementsBased o
Page 83 and 84: ProcedureStep 1. Obtain the materia
Page 85: Magnified view oftire valve and cla
Page 89 and 90: 2. Tethers4. Connector Seal TestPla
Page 91 and 92: 9. Vacuum Experiment - 1Obtain an e
Page 93 and 94: You can investigate neutral buoyanc
Page 95 and 96: MMUMercuryORUPLSSRegolithRMSSCUSkyl
Page 97 and 98: NA S A’s Central Ope ra tion of R
Page 99: Suited for Spacew a l k i n gA Te a
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