Advanced Space Suit Performance in Lunar Simulation Environments

Because the actual Lunar exploration environment cannot be fully replicated on Earth, it is paramount to determine and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the simulated environments we test in and how that impacts the test. This is critical to ensure that testing is performed in an environment that is conducive to the objectives of the test to ensure the validity of the findings. Failure to account for unrealistic aspects of the test can result in a variety of issues including generating invalid data or potentially even negative training of astronauts. The Advanced Suit Team has conducted an extensive amount of testing in various Lunar simulation environments with many different spacesuits and mockup spacesuits. This report summarizes the findings of the past testing as it relates to the current simulation quality of the test environments and the resulting impact on space suit performance. The simulation environments assessed include the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS), Field, Suit Lab, Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL), Partial Gravity Simulator (POGO), and Reduced Gravity Aircraft (RGA). The spacesuits and spacesuit mockups included in the assessment include The EXploration CONop (EXCON) mockup suit, Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU), Z-1, and Z-2. Ultimately, there is no single simulation environment that provides the best simulation quality for all objectives. Every simulated environment has its strengths and weaknesses based on the specific Lunar qualities it is attempting to replicate. By assessing each of these in detail we can develop a better understanding of how to maximize our usage of the environment and reduce the possibility of unrealistic simulation artifacts impacting the validity of the results of the testing event.