Spacesuit Problems

The glove problems continue. One glove was damaged during a space walk and now there seems to be unusual wear on them.

'During EVA 1, EV-2 (Doug Wheelock) performed his routine glove inspections. At GMT ~299/15:07, Wheelock reported RTV peeling on his right glove (s/n 6068). During POST EVA, the crew took photos of their gloves, per 1.240 POST EVA, and subsequently downlinked the pictures,' noted the presentation.

'After MCC-H completed the review of the downlinked photos, significant RTV loss was confirmed along the inboard seam of the thumb and index finger, with nominal wear and abrasion of the Vectran. It should be noted that this is the same area that was damaged on CM Rick Mastracchio and Robert 'Beamer' Curbeam's gloves. Glove was deemed GO for shuttle contingency use only.'

The damage to the gloves wasn't as extreme as observed during STS-118's EVA-3, which was forced into an early termination due to a cut. However, cuts to the gloves were observed during the third EVA on this mission.

'Near the end of 10A EVA 3, EV2 installed APFR 3 in Lab WIF 13 and had some difficulty getting it installed. Following the EVA and IVA glove inspection, EV2 found a cut in his right glove, which was the hand used to install the APFR, and he felt that the cut was due to the difficulty with the APFR install.

'Wheelock called down the hole was on the inside of his right thumb, the size of a 2 mil by 3 mil square hole. EV2 wore different gloves for EVA 4, and Over Gloves for the entire EVA. APFR 3 was returned inside at the end of EVA 4 for subsequent IVA inspection (along with APFR 7, which was the suspect APFR from the vectran damage on Mastraccio's glove). ISS CDR performed inspection on 11/7 and found no sharp edges.

'Post EVA 3 (GMT 303/17:21), EV-2 (Wheelock) commented on his suit fit at which time he also gave a status of his 1st back-up pair of gloves (s/n 6193). Wheelock stated that inside of his right thumb, there is a 2 millimeter by 3 millimeter square hole in the Vectran. He said it appeared that there was some blue/green color seen through the hole.

'He commented that on his way back to the Airlock he was working with the APFR locking collar, and he was certain this was where he got the hole in his right glove since his gloves looked fine immediately after he egressed the SRMS. The right glove was deemed NO GO for use. EV2 was directed to use the third B/U right glove for EVA 4. APFR #3 was brought inside at the end of EVA 4 for IVA inspection.'

Maybe they should put this glove into production?

NASA has awarded $200,000 to the creator of a new spacesuit glove that beat out its competitors and NASA's own current glove in tests of strength, flexibility and comfort. Aspects of the design could be used in future NASA spacesuits.

The Astronaut Glove Challenge was part of a series of NASA-funded contests called Centennial Challenges. NASA promised $200,000 in prize money for anyone who could design a glove capable of outperforming the existing gloves used by NASA astronauts, as well as beating those of other entrants in the competition.

On Thursday, NASA announced that Peter Homer of Southwest Harbor, Maine, US, had bagged the $200,000 award, using off-the-shelf materials.

Gloves are possibly the most important part of the spacesuit from an astronaut's perspective. In addition to cranking levers and handling power drills, astronauts use their hands – rather than their feet – as their primary mode of "walking" around the International Space Station (ISS).

Current gloves use two inner layers – a rubbery balloon-like layer surrounded by cloth to help keep the glove's shape – and an outer shield that protects against micrometeoroids and orbital debris and insulates the hands against the extreme temperatures of space.

The gloves are pressurised, making it difficult for the astronauts to move their fingers. As a result, they often do hand-strengthening exercises to prepare for spacewalks, which can last six hours or more. The labour-intensive spacewalks often leave astronauts' hands bruised and pinched and their fingernails bent backwards.

Ouch.