Developing simulation facilities for astronaut training is one of the duties of the Automation, Robotics and Simulation Division. One such facility simulates the space station robotic arm. Egbert Hood (standing) and Jim Westlake are shown in the cupola, the control room for the arm Sarah Brehmer and Chip McCann are using a small vacuum chamber called a glovebox to experience the sensation of performing tasks in the vacuum of space while wearing spacesuit gloves Suzy Sandrik and Heather Paul. The spacesuits currently operate at 4.7 pounds per square inch and the vacuum of space is practically zero. This box duplicates the pressure difference to highlight the difficulties in working with pressurized gloves Coops Jason Dake, Theresa Debban, and Suzy Sandrik have the enviable opportunity of working in the Mission Control Center (MCC). After training, some coops are able to assist in the flight of a mission from the MCC Thomas Rieser works in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory where astronauts practice to work in space. Floats and weights are added to the astronaut's suits so the astronaut does not sink or float. This simulates the weightlessness that an astronaut will experience during work for Space Station, the Hubble Telescope, or any other spacewalk John Osborn (left) and Darby Vicker (right) are pictured here during their coop tour in the Spring of 1999. Darby is holding an aluminum container and John has a Stereo Lithography Apparatus (SLA) model of a Russian Progress spacecraft's cargo bay. Both of the objects were made by Darby during his coop tour in EM, the Manufacturing, Materials, and Process Technology Division   Heather Paul adjusts the sizing of a spacesuit. The current suits are designed to be adjustable for small, medium, and large astronauts. For a flight with many spacewalks performed by different crewmembers, this feature allows us to fly less suits and resize them instead Chip McCann and Sarah Brehmer examining a seam on a space suit. New spacesuits in the future may be built from a hard material instead of the soft fabric currently used. A hard suit will permit greater mobility but the soft suit is lighter and less expensive
	Responsible NASA Official: Anne Roemer Curator: JSC Co-op Web Development Committee		Program FAQ Biography News Photo Links		Notices: NASA-JSC Web Policies