Conducted With The Collaboration Of The Canadian Space Agency

A team of sixteen Project PoSSUM citizen-scientists recently completed a series of gravity-offset tests and evaluations of an Extravehicular Activity (EVA) space suit prototype at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) headquarters near Montreal, Quebec. The space suit was developed by Final Frontier Design of Brooklyn, NY and these series of tests mark the first gravity-offset tests of a commercial EVA space suit, an essential step towards its certification.

"Final Frontier Design is proud to complete our first round of high-fidelity EVA space suit testing.  It was a privilege and honor to work with Project PoSSUM at the Canadian Space Agency, and thrilling to see the successful use of our EVA system in multiple relevant environments," said Final Frontier Design President Ted Southern.

PoSSUM has trained citizen-scientists from over 40 different countries and this evaluation team previously developed lunar geological and remote medical tools. From 14-18 October, the EVA suit was evaluated in lunar and zero-g conditions using a two-axis gravity-offset system that was developed with Kansas State University.  Combining active force control with a 'frictionless' air-bearing axis, the system creates partial gravity or zero-gravity environments to support lunar surface EVA simulation or microgravity simulation using PoSSUM's Quest Airlock mock-up.

Evaluations in simulated lunar gravity included walking and various tests of tools developed by PoSSUM's members that could be used on a surface EVA such as a hammer, shovel, soil sampler, and a rock hardness tester. Control units for remote drone and a 3D lidar imager were also evaluated. Evaluations in simulated microgravity included fluid line and electrical line connections as well as drill use on a mockup of the Quest Airlock used on the International Space Station. In addition to technical studies, PoSSUM evaluated training effectiveness methods and studied human performance in the analog environment. Participants in the EVA space suit were fitted with CSA's biomonitoring 'smart garment' to measure vitals and biometrics such as heart rate, breathing rate, and blood oxygen saturation.

"The diverse PoSSUM team tested a Russian-heritage suit working under a NASA Space Act Agreement at the Canadian Space Agency with contributions from Kansas State and test teams originating from nations around the world," said PoSSUM's Executive Director Dr. Jason Reimuller.

This year's test team included Dr. Aaron Persad of Boston, Mass.; Valerie Richard of Alexandria, Va.; Heidi Hammerstein of Pembroke, Ga.; Richard Blakeman of Lakewood, Colo.; Yvette Gonzalez of Miami, Fla.; Armin Kleinboehl of Long Beach, Calif.; Kyle Foster of Reston, Va.; Alyssa Carson of Baton Rouge, La; Vittorio Netti of Houston, Tex.; Keith Crooker of Burnsville, Minn.; Shawna Pandya of Edmonton, Alba.; Joey Corso of Palatine, Ill.; and Brien Posey of Rock Hill, S.C.

PoSSUM, an acronym for Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and education organization that conducts upper-atmospheric and space technology research and communicates the science through various educational outreach programs available to students and professionals. Interested individuals should apply online.

(Images provided with PoSSUM news release)

FMI: www.projectpossum.org