Compression under a mechanical counter pressure space suit glove

Area of Science:

• Space Exploration Technology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Human Factors in Aerospace

Background:

• Current gas-pressurized space suits are rigid and restrict astronaut movement during extravehicular activities (EVA).
• Mechanical counter pressure (MCP) suits, designed as elastic garments, promise enhanced dexterity, safety, cost-effectiveness, and reduced mass/volume for EVA.
• MCP technology aims to overcome the limitations of traditional bulky space suit designs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the compression levels exerted by a prototype Mechanical Counter Pressure (MCP) glove.
• To confirm if the MCP glove achieves the target design compression of 200 mmHg, comparable to current NASA EVA suits.

Main Methods:

• Seven male subjects participated in the study.
• A pressure measurement array and MCP glove were fitted to the right hand of each subject.
• The hand was placed in a vacuum chamber to simulate space conditions, and compression was measured at various points (palm, finger, dorsum) under different pressures.

Main Results:

• The MCP glove achieved significant compression on the dorsum of the hand (203.5 mmHg) and the middle finger (179.4-183.8 mmHg) at ambient pressure.
• Compression on the palm was notably lower (59.6 mmHg).
• Compression levels remained consistent despite reductions in chamber pressure.

Conclusions:

• The prototype MCP glove successfully achieved the design compression pressure on the hand's dorsum and the middle finger.
• MCP technology shows potential for improving astronaut mobility and performance during space missions.