New Field Testing at the MDRS

There is little point in going all the way to the moon and Mars if you cannot protect
the rocks collected from contamination. That’s why graduate students and faculty
from the UND Human Spaceflight Laboratory (HSL) will be testing procedures for protecting these “samples” at a Mars analog site starting February 5. HSL Director Pablo de León, with Masters of Space Studies students Annie Wargetz and Tim Holland, will spend a week at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), a famous simulated Martian exploration habitat in South
Utah owned and operated by The Mars Society. “For us, it’s also useful because we learn more about operations in a very remote place,” de León says. “We have to be very careful and well organized to bring with us all the things we will need out there. If something breaks down, we need to fix it with the tools we have on hand.” Living and working on MDRS not only
provides training in procedures, but also lets students work hand-in-hand with seasoned space professionals from NASA Ames Center.
Teamwork in challenging environments is an integral part of space exploration and will
be valuable experience for the participating students, who will receive financial support from the North Dakota Space Grant Consortium for the trip.
The team from UND will bring the North Dakota Experimental-1 (NDX- 1) Mars Prototype space suit for testing. This is the first planetary space suit built at the university level. It has been tested in the North Dakota Badlands, Marambio Base in Antarctica, and the Pilbara region in Australia.
“The complexity [of testing the space suit] in a remote place, such as the MDRS, due
to the logistics involved, helps us to imagine the complexities of an “out of Earth” expedition,”
says de León.

For updates on the testing, please visit this blog.

NDX-1 Testing in Antarctica

Equipment Testing

Testing of drills and related equipment. In this photo, Jon Rask, NASA Ames (left), Margarita Marinova, NASA Ames (center) and me.

Video of the landing at Marambio Base

This is a short video of the landing and downloading of cargo and personnel at Marambio Base, Antarctica.

Arrival to Marambio

The C-130 of the Argentine Air Force right after landing in Marambio, Antarctic Peninsula.

Arrival to Marambio

The C-130 of the Argentine Air Force right after landing in Marambio, Antarctic Peninsula.

Logo in Spanish

And the same logo in Spanish

From Rio Gallegos to Antarctica

In this photo, from right to left, Comodoro Perez, Argentine Air Force, Magarita Marinova, NASA Ames, Jon Rask, NASA Ames and Pablo de Leon, UND.

We left yesterday from Rio Gallegos to Antarctica on a C-130 Hercules. The same one that departed from Buenos Aires the day before. While the accomodations cannot be considered first class, the crew made the flight very enjoyable. It was smooth and without turbulence, and in four hours we were in Rio Gallegos. Spent the night there and the next day we departed for the Marambio Base, in the Antarctic Peninsula.

From Rio Gallegos to Antarctica

We left yesterday from Rio Gallegos to Antarctica on a C-130 Hercules. The same one that departed from Buenos Aires the day before. While the accomodations cannot be considered first class, the crew made the flight very enjoyable.

Logos for the Antarctic Project

Our testing in Antarctica was named "Mars in Marambio", being Marambio the name of the Antarctic base owned by Argentina, where the space suit testing will take place.
The logo of the project depicts the Southern Cross, the planet Mars, one of the Marambio base hangars and the NDX-1 space suit, along with the participating institutions, NASA, the University of North Dakota and the Argentine Air Force.

From Antarctica

We arrived yesterday to the Argentine's Marambio Base in the Antarctic Peninsula, and are waiting to start operations as soon as the weather improves. Winds of more than 70 miles per hour are not permitting operations outside, but we are confident that tomorrow we can start testing. Meanwhile we are preparing the gear, charging the batteries and enjoying life at the base.

NDX-1 Goes to Antarctica

Under a new research project in cooperation with NASA Ames Research Center we are getting ready to test sample collection techniques using the NDX-1 space suit, this time in Antarctica.
We will be publishing on this blog details of our trip.

NDX-2 Assembly at the UND Spacesuit Lab

Here are some preliminary photos of the NDX-2 during initial testing. In the pictures, Gary Harris, designer of the NDX-2 working with graduate student Lynn van Broock (Space Studies)and undergraduate student (Mechanical Engineering) Tyler Jacobson.

NDX-2 Suit is coming!

Preliminary testing of the NDX-2 Lunar prototype suit is now complete.
While I did not had the time to update the blog with the preliminary testing results, I hope to do it very soon.
The NDX-2 is an new generation pressure suit developed for the Lunar environment. Its design is another development of my friend and colleague Gary Harris, a real genius in the development of advanced "soft" space suits. At this moment we are working in some minor improvements and safety systems in the suit, as well as the biomedical system, voice and video communication and Life Support System.

Photos Last Day at MDRS

Fabio Collecting samples with the Thermal-Dust Garment on.



In a warmer "Mars" Fabio showing the restraint layer of the NDX-1. At the distance the MDRS.




Brave Marcus Medley testing the NDX-1





Marcus driving the ATV



Marcus and Pablo




Fabio testing the sample collector tool designed by State University of New York Buffalo students







Fabio with SUNY Buffalo students




Pablo, Fabio and Alex with the UND flag

Sixth and Final Test Day

Today was an amazing last day. I will just upload some photos and briefly comment what they are. I will also include below Alex Diaz's excellent EVA Report.

The NDX-1 test season at MDRS was a complete success and I want to tank very much to everybody who made it possible.
To the North Dakota Space Grant Consortium, especially to Dr. Paul Hardersen and Suezette Bieri for their support.

To Gary L. Harris, great friend and talented designer, who developed all soft elements of the NDX-1. Gary, who deserves a special chapter in the development of advanced space suits and is without a question the most skillful and innovative space suit designer today, and we are honored to have him in our team.

To everybody at the University of North Dakota, one of the finest universities in the US and an incredible place to work, also to my colleagues at the Department of Space Studies who from the beginning supported the idea of a Space Suit Laboratory.
To the Ames Research Center for their kind invitation as part of the NASA Spaceward Bound Mission V, to the MDRS 61 crew; Chip Shepherd (NASA JSC), commander, Alex Diaz (Boeing) our amazing EVA officer, Marcus Medley, (resourceful engineer and the in the last day, NDX-1 test subject!). To Irene Schneider, Pieter Jan Van Asbroeck and Elizabeth Wolfe, an amazing team of super-talented people. To the NDX-1 test subject, Fabio Sau (despite the fact that he wants to be called “the model”) who did a superb job enduring low and high temperatures inside the NDX-1 and performed his job incredible well.

To Paul Graham, engineering support at MDRS who was an invaluable ally when things went wrong and we needed things done by yesterday.

I also want to thank to Don Foutz owner of the Whispering Sands for his support, help and patience. Also, to Tiffany and all the great ladies of the housekeeping team at the Whispering.

Special thanks to Tony Muscatello, of the Mars Society who provided valuable help and logistics for this successful mission.

Last but not least to my wife Ana Maria, who took all the pictures in this blog (and thousands more, and at the same time did the video footage of the complete mission) enduring wind, sand, heat, cold (and even some media camera guys who did her job more difficult) and despite all that took incredible pictures and videos of the tests.

I also want to thank all of you who read this blog every day and provided comments and encouragement during this week.

Many thanks to all.

Pablo de Leon

------------------------------

Log Book for April 7, 2007
EVA Report by Alex Diaz

Context: UND NDX-1 Suit Test and EVA Sample Collector Tool Test (State University of New York, Buffalo)
Duration: 06:55-8:06
Weather: Clear (dawn)
Maximum distance from Hab: 800m

Participants: EVA Support Task Team-5 (Alex Diaz, Marcus Medley, Irene Schneider Puente), NDX-1 Crew (Pablo De Leon, Ana De Leon, and Fabio Sau), and State University of New York, Buffalo student (Amanda Schmidt and Mrynal D'Arcangelo).

Equipment: NDX-1 Spacesuit and supporting equipment (i.e. ATV, compressor, and generator), video camera, digital camera, GPS, radios, rock hammer, notepad/pen, and EVA Sample Collector Tool.

Route: NDX-1 suit subject (Fabio Sau) rode on ATV trailer north on Lowell Highway to perform several mobility tests.

Objectives - Work Done: This was the last test of the UND NDX-1 Suit at MDRS. The objective was to assess the mobility of the NDX-1 suit. Major tasks included NDX-1 donning, Thermal Garment donning, walking w/ backpack, sample collection with rock hammer, cart moving, and sample flag planting. All operations were conducted successfully. The farthest location reached was UTM 12S 0518724E 4251224N; distance of 800m from Hab.

Additionally, an EVA Sample Collector Tool was tested by the pressurized NDX-1 Test. The goal of this tool is to allow Martian astronauts to dig and collect soil and rock samples without having to bend. Prior to today's test, the test subject (Fabio Sau) tested the EVA tool without gloves and got familiar with the mechanism. During today's test, Fabio performed the following tasks: 1) released the trigger mechanism allowing for the tool arm to fold out, 2) dug into the soil for the sample, 3) reengaged the trigger to retract the arm, 4) collected the soil sample into the container, 5) unscrewed the container, and 6) capped the sample. Conceptually, the EVA tool is a very valiant attempt for facilitating collection samples on a planetary surface. However, there are a few items that are being recommended to the graduate designers for further development of the tool. These recommendations are outlined in the Lessons Learned section.

After all NDX-1 suit operations were completed, MDRS Crew 61 Engineer, Marcus Medley, was able to test the pressurized suit. Note, the NDX-1 suit was designed for a person with an approximate height of 5'9" and weight of 160lbs. Marcus Medley fit those parameters. Marcus donned on the suit and walked in the area surrounding the front of the Hab. Marcus commented that the suit itself does not, for the most part, touch the surface of the body, which allows for very good mobility; walking, bending arms and legs, and kneeling was effortless. Furthermore, the suit gloves allowed him good dexterity and tactility.

Lessons Learned:
Starting early again proved fruitful. This was done to prevent overheating of the test subject in a pressurized suit.
NDX-1 suit mobility is very good. Test subject is able to get on one knee comfortably to collect samples, able to use rock hammer, able to walk up a low sloping hill, and able to maneuver around rocks of various sizes.
EVA Sample Collection Tool recommendations (Pablo De Leon, Fabio Sau, Alex Diaz, Mrynal D'Arcangelo and Amanda Schmidt):
Trigger mechanism is extremely difficult to pull in order to release the bending arm. Recommendation: Decrease distance from the trigger to the handle so that astronaut can have a better grip.
The trigger itself is too short; there is only room for two fingers. Recommendation: Increase the length of the trigger mechanism so that four fingers can grip the handle.
Clearance distance on the handle is not enough for the glove of the space suit to fit around without causing damage to the suit itself. Recommendation: Increase the degree angle for the arm rest by approximately 20 degrees in order to prevent the glove and suit from getting hooked. Use silicone or some type of padding for the armrest to prevent damage to the suit.
Scoop degree angle is restrictive. Recommendation: Increase the degree of pitch of the scoop in order to have a better dig angle.
Refer to NASA-STD-3000 for EVA-related requirements.

Additional Report Day 5

by Alex Diaz

April 6, 2007
EVA Report


EVA Support Task-4:

Context: NDX-1 Suit Test
Duration: 05:57-07:22
Weather: Clear (dawn)
Maximum distance from Hab: 800m

Participants: EVA Support Task Team-4 (Alex Diaz, Marcus Medley, Irene Schneider Puente, Chip Shepherd), NDX-1 Crew (Pablo De Leon, Ana De Leon, and Fabio Sau), and State University of New York, Buffalo student (Amanda Schmidt). Media from ABC-TV/Houston, Telemundo, and independent documentary covered the event.

Equipment: NDX-1 Spacesuit and supporting equipment (i.e. ATV, compressor, and generator), video camera, digital camera, GPS, radios, rock hammer, and notepad/pen.

Route: NDX-1 suit subject (Fabio Sau) headed north on Lowell Highway to perform several mobility tests.

Objectives - Work Done: The objective was to assess the mobility of the NDX-1 suit. Major tasks included NDX-1 donning, Thermal Garment donning, walking w/ backpack, sample collection with rock hammer, cart moving, and sample flag planting. All operations were conducted successfully.

Lessons Learned:
· Starting early (before dawn) is very important to avoid overheating of pressurized suited crew.
· NDX-1 suit mobility is very good. Test subject is able to get on one knee comfortably to collect samples, able to use rock hammer, able to walk up a low sloping hill, and able to maneuver around rocks of various sizes.

Fifth Test Day

Today we had a very fruitful day of testing. We started at 6AM with the presence of ABC News, Telemundo Hispanic Media and a documentary producer from Switzerland.
We repeated some of the tests of past days and did some new, including a small climbing, plus some new sampling collection tasks. Everything went very well and we were relieved to see the press leave happy. We are still without Internet in our hotel so I will have to be brief, but I will write more tomorrow if possible. Saturday is our last day of testing. We plan to arrive to the site at 6:30 AM and will perform some additional tests and will test a new collection sample tool.
I plan to upload some more photos as soon as I can.








Pablo de Leon.

Additional Report Day 5

Log Book for April 5, 2007
EVA Report by Alex Diaz

EVA Support Task-3:

Context: UND NDX-1 Average Walking Speed
Duration: 05:00 - 07:30
Weather: Clear (dawn)
Maximum distance traveled from Hab: 680m
Route: NDX-1 suit subject (Fabio Sau) headed north on Lowell Highway.
Equipment: NDX-1 Spacesuit and supporting equipment (i.e. ATV, compressor, and generator), video camera, digital camera, GPS, radios, and notepad/pen.

Participants: EVA Support Task-3 (Alex Diaz, Marcus Medley, Pieter Jan Van Asbroeck and Chip Shepherd), and NDX-1 Crew (Pablo De Leon, Ana De Leon and Fabio Sau).

Objectives - Work Done: Assisted NDX-1 team with pressurized suit walking demonstrations. Objective was to find an average walking speed. EVA started at 6:19 AM, and plan was to walk north on Lowell Highway; this route was chosen because it is relatively flat. However, 11m 33 sec into the walk (at 6:31 AM), the EVA had to be aborted due to suit compressor problems. An attempt to repair the problem on site was attempted (by replacing generator), but that proved fruitless. The farthest location reached was UTM 12S 0518737E 4250825N; distance of 680m from Hab. According to GPS measurements, NDX-1 suit subject's moving average speed was 3.5 km/hr. The compressor problem has been fixed by University of North Dakota personnel and we will continue with this test tomorrow.

Lessons Learned:
Starting early is very important to avoid overheating of pressurized suited crew.
Walkback data collection using the GPS units was successful.

Forth Test Day

Yesterday night, once again, Internet was not working at the place we are staying so I enclose here the blog for April 4th, sorry!

Today activities started at 4AM. By 5 we were at the MDRS and ready to go.
We had the life support cart prepared from the night before and everything looked OK. Fabio was suited up at around 5:30 and after a check of the life support we started the first test, which consisted in a walk to determine speed in the NDX-1 in pressurized state.
Speeds were determined between 3.5 and 5 km/h on depending terrain and other conditions. Fabio said he wanted to go faster, but I didn’t wanted to overexert him, and that speed was more than enough for what we wanted to test. Thanks to NASA Spaceward Bound 61 Commander “Chip” Shepherd for helping in the test working the GPS, and as always to Alex Diaz for organizing everything for the EVA test at the MDRS.



The second part of the test was climbing a cliff, getting samples in inclined terrain and doing some measurements with a Geiger counter.
When we were going to move the ATV with the trailer near to the cliff area, our engineer Marcus Medley called our attention about some minor smoke coming from the compressor that pressurizes the suit. We rapidly stopped the test and saw than a capacitor on top of the compressor motor was damaged. It broke, and believe it or not, we had no spare parts for it.
My fault, for failing to consider all possible scenarios.
Sadly we had to stop the test, have Fabio doffing the suit, getting everything back into the MDRS area and driving back to Hanksville to try to resolve the problem.
The mistake was a big one. I had to drive 5 hours back and forth to get a couple of capacitors in Gunnison, UT. To make the long story short we finally resolved the problem and we tested the LSS to try again tomorrow morning to finish the pending tests.




So, tomorrow 4 AM we will attempt again, this time with three crews of national media (and one international) taping all we do (mistakes included). So, let’s hope for the best!. It has been a very full day; we are all very tired and need some rest to be up and ready in a few hours.
We might find some Easter eggs tomorrow as part of the sample collection test!

Pablo de Leon.