Re: Space Tourist Spacesuits

From: Henry Spencer (henry_at_spsystems.net)
Date: 02/21/05 

Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2005 19:23:29 GMT

In article <1JKdnXORmOSeDITfRVn-rg@look.ca>,
Earl Colby Pottinger <earlcp@idirect.com> wrote:
>> Mass also is an issue. A hundred-kilogram suit is fine for LEO...
>> ...less than optimal for Lunar operations, and not at all for Mars, what
>> with that pesky "gravity" pulling at it.
>
>But that is only 33 Kilos in wieght. That does not seem to be an
>unreasonable wieght for a healthy adult to carry about. Yes, lighter would
>better, but 100 Kilos mass should not be a show stopper.

33 kilos is one hell of a lot to carry for prolonged activity, even before
you figure in the added complications like stiff joints. This *is* a show
stopper for major surface operations.

>Now what about dust. I thought the Moon's dust was very abrasive?

Indeed so. The expendable overgloves that later Apollo missions carried
were often in tatters after only a couple of days of surface activity.
And joints and mechanical parts were already giving trouble due to dust --
Schmitt's sun visor had stopped working entirely, for example. A later
analysis suggested that an Apollo suit was good for at most a dozen 8-hour
moonwalks, and even that assumed more time and better facilities for suit
cleaning and minor repairs.

Whether Mars dust has similar properties is unknown. 

-- 
"Think outside the box -- the box isn't our friend."    |   Henry Spencer
                                -- George Herbert       | henry@spsystems.net
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