SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY NEXT GENERATION AIRLOCK ASSESSMENT
- Notice Date
- 2/5/2015
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 927110
— Space Research and Technology
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas, 77058-3696, Mail Code: BH
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- NNJ15ZBH007L
- Response Due
- 8/5/2015
- Archive Date
- 2/5/2016
- Point of Contact
- Mark A. Dillard, Lead Partnership Development Office Integration, Phone 281-244-8640, Fax 281-483-4146, Email mark.a.dillard@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Mark A. Dillard
(mark.a.dillard@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Potential Commercial Applications: medical, under-sea exploration/production, industrial hard suited diving operations, Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) safety, and others. Keywords: Extravehicular Activity (EVA), space suit, spacewalk, rapid EVA, high frequency EVA, dust mitigation, Planetary Protection, suitport, suitlock, rear-entry airlock, next generation airlock, suitport-airlock, ingress, egress, inflatable airlock, exploration atmosphere Purpose: NASA JSC seeks partners to better assess vehicle benefits/impacts of next generation airlock technology associated with high frequency/low overhead EVA ingress/egress methods. State of the Art (SOA) technology does not include the same benefits of these methods. 1. Readily available EVA capability a. Short-duration EVAs with decreased prep and post time b. Reduced crew time overhead, potentially reduced from 3.5 hours in microgravity to near zero prebreathe c. Multiple EVAs during the same day, multiple days per week d. Increased crew autonomy/decreased EVA planning e. Reduced crew fatigue/injury 2. Reduced consumables use 3. Increased dust mitigation/planetary protection This new partnering opportunity focuses on advancing the concept in design and analysis of the vehicle side to understand the benefits/impacts that could eventually lead to potential flight demonstrations. Technology: SOA methods of ingress/egress through airlocks use a large amount of consumables, long EVA prep and post time, and would have the crewmember traversing/translating directly through the dust (if present) that was brought in after an EVA both after the crewmembers doff their suits and prior to donning their suits. A next generation airlock is needed to provide readily available EVA capability with reduced consumables usage and dust mitigation/planetary protection by donning/doffing the rear-entry EVA suit through a bulkhead. Space systems engineers and concept designers have identified rapid, high frequency, or readily available EVA capability to be a key figure of merit (FOM) in the efficacy of exploration human spaceflight architectures. NASA has recognized a number of potential applications for the technology including use as a suitport, rear-entry airlock (suitlock) or a combination thereof for spacewalking astronauts. Engineers at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) are currently offering co-development opportunities focusing on three important assessments necessary for improving the vehicle understanding of a next generation airlock. Impacts to the vehicle need to be understood further, this should include: 1. Trades/methods for integrating structure vs. add-on module, vehicle diameter, hatch placement, inflatable portions, etc. 2. Benefits and impacts to the vehicle including analysis of key FOMs (i.e. mass, volume, consumables, dust mitigation) for a next generation airlock. 3. Analysis of a materials and avionics list that need to be tested/certified to be at an exploration atmosphere of 8.2 psi/34% O2 (flammability constraints). R&D Status: NASA is currently studying next generation airlock system descriptions, interfaces, and design considerations for on-orbit and planetary surface ingress/egress methods. A white paper to address background, concept descriptions, past trades performed, and a list of trades for future exploration EVA ingress/egress methods is available. These include possible uses of a suitport, which is in an early prototype phase, rear-entry airlock, or suitport-airlock and has conceptual proposals for utilizing structures in cis-lunar and planetary crewed exploration spacecraft. Limited concepts have been developed and prototype testing has been executed with lessons learned tied to this activity. Intellectual Property (IP): Patents awarded: - Suitport extra-vehicular access facility- US 4842224 A Detailed information for the above mentioned technology furnished upon request. This project may produce new IP that could be jointly owned by NASA and the partner. Contact Information: Please submit the attached Statement of Interest to: Name:Jesse Buffington Title:Lead, Exploration EVA Architecture Phone:281-483-7110 Email: Jesse.a.buffington@nasa.gov To view all Co-Development and Partnering Opportunities with the NASA Johnson Space Center please visit our website - http://www.nas a.gov/centers/johnson/partnerships/codevelopment.html This presolicitation synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response.Respondents will not be notified of the results.
- Web Link
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- Record
- SN03634238-W 20150207/150205235235-7ea52e82c4e2bbefdab05015c6322ab2 (fbodaily.com)
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