Spacesuit Utilization of Innovative Technology Laboratory (S.U.I.T. Lab)

There are as many as a half a dozen different vehicles being developed to take crew and passengers to suborbital, orbital, deep space, and planetary surface destinations. Most missions will require critical enabling spacesuit technology to protect humans from the harsh space environment. Accordingly, a new wave of researchers and operators will be required. To address these unique requirements, the Spaceflight Operations program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) developed the Spacesuit Utilization of Innovative Technology Laboratory, or S.U.I.T. Lab. The S.U.I.T. Lab provides a curriculum-based experiential focused goal of teaching ERAU students about the fundamentals of spacesuit operation in simulated environments starting with intravehicular activities in spacecraft cabins and extending to analogue research in simulations with extravehicular activities. The research-focused goal of the S.U.I.T. Lab will provide a testbed for industry partners to receive feedback, data, and recommendations for spacesuit design with innovative solutions while simultaneously providing ERAU with research opportunities for faculty as well as undergraduate and graduate thesis work and technology development.