Designing future spacesuits

System engineering and integration is the skill of the 21 century. Without this skill, it will be very hard to compete. To begin with, we have to take a system perspective. What does each different user want and need and how do they want it to function? If we get good user feedback up front, it helps to ensure a good quality product and good customer service. The first set of system requirements is laid out by taking what's common among all the users. Then we figure out what's unique and different for each user -- and that's where the system integration comes in. System integration becomes much easier if we are thinking in parallel, as opposed to linear thinking. When systems are integrated, technology is enabled.

We have just about completed Phase I of the wireless Advanced Wireless Communicator. What this phase entailed was to develop the system requirements and design. Though the system design is not complete, we have decided the basic core capabilities. The Systems Requirement Document is finished, and a partial prototype has been constructed. The prototype is of the ear piece and has no electronic components as of yet. The controller unit prototype will be delivered this month and can be worn as a watch or put on the chest. Both will have push to talk capability. We have talked to flight controllers, Shuttle/Space Station EVA people, astronauts, X-38 people, NBL (Neutral Buoyancy Lab) people, LCC (Launch Control Center) and Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) people in Florida. This is how we figured out our system perspective. We know the core electronics capability will be the same, but we will have to package it differently for the various users and their specific applications.

My whole group is also working on Russian Increment projects. We are working to understand many of the challenges facing us both concerning EVAs (Extravehicular Activity). We are infusing research and technology for system integration of the two differing EVA philosophies. Between the years 2000 and 2002, more EVA will be done than in the entire history of the space program. This is because of the construction of the space station. EVAs are very stressful for the astronauts' bodies -- specifically their fingers, hands, wrists and forearms -- because of the short repetitive movements and limited mobility. We want to infuse technology and breakdown what we refer to as the "EVA Wall" and try to make it easier on the astronauts doing these EVAs. The EVA Wall is the amount of EVAs we will have to perform during the above mentioned three years. We must be able to meet these challenges to get the space station built, so it has become a wall of sorts for us to get over.

The spacesuit project I am working on is going well. The S3 Project was demonstrated at Inspection Day 98 here at JSC. The S3 Project supports the development of an advanced spacesuit with virtual prototyping and modeling. At JSC, we can model the forces of the joints collectively -- the wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle.

The state-of-the-art technology for modeling the flexion of the fingers and the toes was not NASA's and came from Dr. Rice. What we are working on is software, and the suit is physical hardware. Virtual simulation and modeling (software) help in the development and construction of the suit by saving time and money,and by answering many "what ifs" beforehand - trial and error at its best. The astronaut's spacesuit is called an EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit), and this project involves EMU upgrades. One of the first areas we are looking at upgrading is the helmet, as we want to integrate the Advanced Communicator technology to allow for advanced wireless communication. We've also looked into updating the gloves. A virtual prototype, similar to the S3, will help considerably in saving time and money.

On the home front, I have a new dog -- a dachshund named Kasi. My pit bull, ShyShy, is going to have puppies soon. That should be interesting. The magazine "Popular Science" is sending someone to talk to personnel in our area about existing and future spacesuits, including Dr. Rice's S3 project.