Orlan space suit
The Orlan space suit (
History
The first spacewalk using an Orlan suit took place on December 20, 1977, on the
The Orlan space suits were used for spacewalks on the Salyut stations, but for
On February 3, 2006, a retired Orlan fitted with a radio transmitter, dubbed
In April 2004, China imported 13 Orlan spacesuits from Russia: Three for EVA, two for airlock training, four for neutral buoyancy tank training, four for testing the EVA support system on the Shenzhou spacecraft.
In June 2009, the latest computerized Orlan-MK version was tested during a five-hour spacewalk to install new equipment on the International Space Station.[citation needed] The new suit's main improvement is the replacement of the radio-telemetry equipment in the Portable Life Support System backpack which contains a mini-computer. This computer processes data from the spacesuit's various systems and provides a malfunction warning. It then outlines a contingency plan which is displayed on an LCD screen on the right chest part of the spacesuit.[citation needed]
In September 2020, it was announced that Zvezda had started manufacturing space suits for Indian astronauts, part of the Gaganyaan crewed mission, four of which had begun training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia in 2019.[9]
Design
The Orlan space suit has gone through several models. Space-rated designations include the Orlan-D, Orlan-DM, Orlan-DMA, and Orlan-M models; the Orlan-GN, Orlan-T, and Orlan-V are used in training and are used underwater.
The Orlan space suit is semi-rigid, with a solid torso and flexible arms.[14] It includes a rear hatch entry through the backpack that allows it to be donned relatively quickly (approximately five minutes). The first Orlan suits were attached to the spacecraft by an umbilical tether that supplied power and communications links. The Orlan-DM and later models are self-sustaining.
Models
Lunar orbit suit
- Name: Orlan Lunar Orbital Spacesuit
- Manufacturer: NPP Zvezda
- Missions: Development occurred from 1967–1971, no flight models that were operational were produced.[15]
- Function: Extra-vehicular activity (EVA)
- Operating pressure: 400 hPa (5.8 psi)[15]
- Mass: 59 kg (130 lb)[15]
- Primary life support: 5 hours[15]
D model
- Name: Orlan-D
- Manufacturer: NPP Zvezda
- Missions: Developed from 1969 to 1977. Used on Salyut-6 and Salyut-7 Space Stations. Used from 1977 to 1984.[15]
- Function: Extra-vehicular activity (EVA)
- Operating Pressure: 400 hPa (5.8 psi)[15]
- Mass: 73.5 kg (162 lb)[15]
- Primary Life Support: 5 hours[15]
DM model
- Name: Orlan-DM
- Manufacturer: NPP Zvezda Company
- Missions: Used on Salyut-7 and Mir. Used from 1985 to 1988.[15]
- Function: Extra-vehicular activity (EVA)
- Operating pressure: 400 hPa (5.8 psi)[15]
- Mass: 88 kg (194 lb)[15]
- Primary life support: 6 hours[15]
DMA model
- Name: Orlan-DMA
- Manufacturer: NPP Zvezda
- Missions: Used on Mir. Used from 1988 to 1997.[15]
- Function: Extra-vehicular activity (EVA)
- Operating Pressure: 400 hPa (5.8 psi)[15]
- Mass: 105 kg (231 lb)[15]
- Primary Life Support: 7 hours[15]
M model
- Name: Orlan-M
- Manufacturer: NPP Zvezda
- Missions: Used on Mir and ISS. Used from 1997 to 2009?[15]
- Function: Extra-vehicular activity (EVA)
- Operating Pressure: 400 hPa (5.8 psi)[15]
- Mass: 112 kg (247 lb)[15]
- Primary Life Support: 7 hours[15]
MK model
- Name: Orlan-MK
- Manufacturer: NPP Zvezda
- Missions: Used on ISS. Used from 2009 to 2017.[16]
- Function: Extra-vehicular activity (EVA)
- Operating pressure: 400 hPa (5.8 psi)
- Mass: 120 kg (260 lb)[16]
- Primary life support: 7 hours
MKS model
- Name: Orlan-MKS
- Manufacturer: NPP Zvezda
- Missions: Used on ISS. Used 2017–present.[16]
- Function: Extra-vehicular activity (EVA)
- Operating pressure: 400 hPa (5.8 psi)
- Mass: 110 kg (240 lb)
- Primary life support: 7 hours
Training
Orlan suits are used in the
See also
- Krechet-94
- Hard Upper Torso
- Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment
- Sokol space suit
- Soviet SPK
- List of spacewalks
- List of Mir spacewalks
- List of ISS spacewalks
- List of spacewalks and moonwalks
- List of cumulative spacewalk records
References
- ^ NASA (1997). "NASA Press Briefing". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Archived from the original on November 16, 2001. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
- ^ ESA (2004). "Orlan spacesuit". European Space Agency. Archived from the original on August 26, 2007. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
- ^ Encyclopedia Astronautica (2007). "Orlan Space Suit". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on November 17, 2002. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
- ^ Tariq Malik (2006). "So Long, SuitSat: Astronauts Launch Spacesuit in ISS Spacewalk". Space.com. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
- ^ Robert Z. Pearlman for CollectSpace.com (2006). "Orlan Overboard: The Suit Behind the Sat". Space.com. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
- ^ Space Today Online (2006). "Suitsat: An empty spacesuit broadcasting to Earth". Space Today Online. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
- ^ "王兆耀:神七出舱活动俄专家提供了技术支持" [Wang Zhaoyao: Russian Experts Provided Technical Support for Shenzhou 7's Extravehicular Activities] (Press release) (in Chinese). Jiuquan. Xinhua News Agency. 2008-09-24. Archived from the original on 2018-08-09. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan (2008-10-12). "JSR No. 601". Jonathan's Space Report. Archived from the original on 2012-02-12. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
- ^ "Explained:Zvezda, the Russian firm making suits for India's Gaganyaan astronauts". 5 October 2020.
- ^ NPP InterCoS (2007). "Zvezda's Museum and Spacesuit Photo Report". NPO International Cooperation in Space. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
- ^ Jonathan McDowell (2000). "The History of Spaceflight Chapter 7.2: Zvezda Orlan spacesuits". Retrieved November 8, 2007.
- ^ "Space fashion". 11 April 2014.
- ^ "Russian spacesuits". 2008.
- ^ JSC RD&PE "Zvezda". "Space Suits". JSC RD&PE "Zvezda", Russia. Archived from the original on November 1, 2007. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
- ^ ISBN 1-85233-732-X.
- ^ a b c RuSpace