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PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Candidate Megan Kane demonstrates a suited parachute extraction in water at Survival Systems USA. . 12 PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Candidates develop and test planetary geology tools in Northern Arizona later to be used to evaluate the Final Frontier Design EVA space suit prototype this October in PoSSUM’s gravity-offset laboratory.
Summer 2019
Project PoSSUM Completes Evaluation of Tools for Planetary Geology in preparation for EVA Space Suit Evaluation Project PoSSUM Completes Evaluation of Tools for Planetary Geology BOULDER, Colo. – Project PoSSUM announced today that a team of twelve PoSSUM citizen-scientists had completed an evaluation of prototype tools for lunar and Martian geology to later be used to evaluate human performance characteristics of an extra-vehicular activity (EVA) space suit developed by Final Frontier Design of Brooklyn, NY. The course culminated in a one-week capstone field experience in the San Francisco Volcanic Field (SFVF), just north of Flagstaff, AZ, a location that has been used extensively in the past for a number of NASA analog mission simulations and NASA-funded geologic research related to planetary field exploration. Led by Dr. Jose Hurtado, a PoSSUM instructor who frequently instructs NASA’s astronaut candidates, the PoSSUM students were introduced to basic field science practice in the context of geologic observations and sample collection. The PoSSUM course included an introduction to field science in the context of geology; an overview of the processes that shape the surface environments of Mars and Earth’s moon; a survey of historical planetary surface geologic exploration by robots and humans; and a survey of historical EVA systems and tools used for human surface science. The PoSSUM students concentrated on design considerations for EVA systems and tools for conducting planetary field geology. EVA tools were designed by each student and then a test article of each tool was fabricated by PoSSUM’s technician team, led by Chris Lundeen. The students were then able to consider the constraints placed by human factors, the EVA environment, and science tasks upon the design and implementation of EVA suits, tools, and procedures for effective and efficient field science operations on planetary surfaces. “The course was expertly put together and taught by top field geologists.” said PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Candidate Dr. Aaron Persad, “Particularly interesting was learning about the lunar tools developed for the Apollo missions, and thinking about designing future tools for use on the Moon and Mars.” The evaluation of tools in the scientifically relevant analog setting of the SFVF, as well as tools derived from an additional PoSSUM course on Operational Space
PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Candidate Dr. Rui Moura characterizes a rock sample using a spectrometer.
Medicine, are currently being integrated into the first phase of EVA space suit evaluation using PoSSUM’s gravity offset laboratory, planned for October 2019. “The class was a pleasure to co-teach with Dr. Jose Hurtado.” said PoSSUM instructor Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj, “Working in the same locations where NASA astronauts did their training for the Apollo Moon missions brought a sense of nostalgia as well as excitement for what’s to come as we embark on a new frontier in space exploration.” PoSSUM’s citizen-scientists have been trained from over 40 different countries. The planetary field geology course included Dr. Aaron Persad of Somerville, Mass.; Yvette Gonzalez of Miami, Fla.; Dr. Shawna Pandya of Edmonton, Alba.; Dr. Rui Moura of Porto, Portugal; Heidi Hammerstein of Pembroke, Ga.; Kyle Foster of Centreville, Va.; Shayla Redmond of Kathleen, Ga.; Yajaira Sierra-Sastre of Rockville, Md.; Bethany Downer of St. John’s, N.F.; Joey Corso of Palatime, Ill.; Ana Pires of Porto, Portugal; and Brien Posey of Rock Hill, S.C.
Project PoSSUM First to Complete Spacecraft Egress Testing of Commercial Space Suits A team of Project PoSSUM citizen-scientists recently completed a series of spacecraft egress and post-landing tests of an Intra-Vehicular Activity (IVA) space suit at Survival Systems USA in Groton, CT. The space suit was developed by Final Frontier Design of Brooklyn, NY and these series of tests mark the first post-landing tests of a commercial spacesuit in water, an essential step towards certifying the space suit for flight at high altitude, a feat the team seeks to accomplish next year. PoSSUM’s citizen-scientists have been trained from over 40 different countries and this year’s evaluation team has been specially trained in advance of these tests through a specialized curriculum that includes SCUBA and space suit training in addition to an intensive educational and training program developed by former NASA test designers together with Survival Systems. This year, the PoSSUM team evaluated the various post-landing survival equipment including a custom Life Preserver Unit (LPU) designed to keep an astronaut stable in water while evaluating human performance in various spacecraft and ejection seat egress procedures, including scenarios with reduced lighting and elevated sea conditions. PoSSUM’s full-scale fiberglass mockup of the Orion spacecraft was used to support operational research of post-landing egress procedures of test subjects using the space suits. The PoSSUM team also assessed performance in various ejection and parachute entry training procedures involving freefall into water from a height approximating an actual impact velocity. For these tests, a special drop system was developed to simulate parachute drops and raft ingress operations while in a space suit. Former NASA astronaut instructor and system engineer Ken Trujillo led the PoSSUM team. “Outside of government space agencies there is no spaceflight focused emergency operations training available to researchers, academia, or civil spaceflight operators.” said Ken Trujillo, “The courses, tests and hardware we’re developing will, hopefully, build the industry database and lead to improved systems, operations and safety to all involved in the civil space industry.” Trujillo now serves as PoSSUM’s Astronautics Training Director and aims to provide a similar education and training experience as NASA astronauts receive. This year’s test team included Dr. Aaron Persad of Somerville, Mass.; Aimee Valiere of Huntsville, Ala.; Dara Dotz of San Francisco, Calif.; Valerie Richard of Alexandria, Va.; Heidi Hammerstein of Pembroke, Ga.; Richard Blakeman of Lakewood, Colo.; Megan Kane of Richmond, Calif.; Brien Posey of Rock Hill, S.C.; Tatsunari Tomiyama of Melbourne, Fla.; and Carmen Felix of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Additionally, PoSSUM’s Dr. Erik Seedhouse led a study comparing various strength measurements of the PoSSUM scientist-astronaut candidates in relation to NASA’s astronaut candidates to assess how these might relate to various post-landing scenarios.
PoSSUM Introduces Ground Observation Network for Citizen Scientists PoSSUM’s Education and Science Communication Coordinator Adrien Mauduit recenly launched a citizen science ground observation network organized through social media as part of an effort to coordinate ground observations provided by individulas from around the world. The imagery will then be analyzed as part of PoSSUM’s scientific efforts. As noctilucent clouds are widely believed to appear more frequently, strongly and at more equatorward latitudes in the past decade, their study using ground-based observation surveys becomes paramount to attempt to understand why and how they do so. Thanks to the combined development of IT and social media, the more affordable imaging technology and a general increase of NLC awareness in the general population, more reports are correlatively being made. In turn these citizen reports constitute a significant and valuable source of scientific information that can potentially help unravel the mysteries of the night shining clouds. Adrien maintains a Facebook group called ‘Noctilucent clouds around the World’, aiming firstly at alerting NLC-chasing amateurs of possible cloud appearance as well as sharing their reports among them. As the platform quickly grew, the opportunity arose of a citizen-science based project to survey seasonal occurrence of NLC by gathering each willing participant’s yearly reports in one place. As it has been done in recent years for aurora research, we want to demonstrate that social media platform can contribute to NLC science thanks to bulk worldwide reports that would not have been possible using a network of a few cameras. Each citizen participant of the group has been urged to provide a report sheet at the end of this 2019 northern hemisphere NLC season. It will contain their number of total sightings, and for each of them, a detailed description with the location (coordinates), date, time, direction, brightness and duration. Finally each report will be documented by a picture taken by the citizen scientist. By forming a consistent and extensive database through the social media group, we want to study the inter-seasonal and geographical variation in NLC occurrence.
Students from Guatemala, Colombia, and Mexico win first PoSSUM 13 STEM Competition After a competitive evaluation period, the PoSSUM 13 Microgravity Challenge is pleased to announce our three student team finalists! 1. From Guatemala, the “G-Force: Efficiency on energy transformation of a semi-automatic dynamo in microgravity-induced environment” experiment led by students Marcela Billingslea, Natalia Montes, Isabella Sandoval, and Cristina Castellanos under mentorship of Iliana Cano 2. From Colombia, the "Magnetic Force in Microgravity" experiment led by students Ivanna Hernandez, Maria Paula Lozano, and Giuliana Fiorillo under mentorship of Damian Madero 3. From Mexico, the “Caring for the environment: Separation of oil and water” experiment led by students Nayeli Ruiz Rodriguez, Rubi Aramburo Rios, Estrella Yazarela Espinoza Barrios, and Abraham Velarde Canizales under mentorship of Susana Mendoza Rios The PoSSUM 13 project is a PoSSUM Outreach program designed to engage more girls and young women into STEM professions through educational outreach programs. PoSSUM 13 ambassadors are advising each team to mature a flight qualified design and one willing team will be able to send a student to fly with the experiments. Congratulations to these teams as they advance to the final stage of the challenge. Final results will be announced this August.
FInalist student teams for the first PoSSUM 13 Microgravity Challenge hail from Guatemala (left), Colombia (center), and Mexico (right)
PoSSUM’s Dr. Norah Patten Leads Nationwide STEM Competition in Ireland PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Candidate Dr. Norah Patten recently built a partnership in Ireland to engage secondary school students in a microgravity competition. With support from PoSSUM and IComp, a team of students from Skerries Community College in Dublin will have their experiment tested on a microgravity flight this October. Teams were asked to design an experiment for testing on a parabolic flight and the Skerries team hope to address some of the challenges associated with developing sustainable sources of food for long term space exploration. Their project will investigate the feasibility of fine water mist absorption in microgravity.
The winning students are Sam Enright, Clíodhna O’Reardon, Evanna Niall and Adam Kelly. Adam also won this year’s BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. Team captain Sam Enright said: “We are delighted, it is never something we imagined we would be doing, making an experiment to go ‘into space’ on this microgravity flight and to learn insights into that.” “We were thinking about what would change versus what would stay the same in microgravity. The problem is going to be that you can’t just get out a watering can to water plants on the ISS or on a space station in some sort of modified gravity, compared to what they evolved for on Earth. So we thought if you had some sort of mist-system to spray water – and we investigated soil, rather than plants, because that is going to be more necessary and maybe could be an approach that hasn’t been looked at as much,” he added. PoSSUM will fly a number of microgravity flights in Ottawa, Canada at the National Research Council (NRC) that will include a number of different experiments, including the Irish one. The initiative was led by PoSSUM’s Dr Norah Patten, who said: “This is an opportunity for students to develop skills in STEM, teamwork, research and creativity – all of which are skills that are required throughout our careers. And what better place to develop these skills than a microgravity flight opportunity.” “We have an exciting and busy summer ahead to get the experiment flight ready. I would have loved to have had this opportunity as a teenager,” she added. The team will now work with experts at IComp and UL’s Bernal Institute to prepare the experiment for the October flight. This opportunity was made possible thanks to the sponsorship received through IComp, The Bernal Institute, Varicomp and The Faculty of Science and Engineering at UL.
PoSSUM at the International Astronautical Conference Twenty PoSSUM scientist-astronaut candidates and instructors will be attending the 70th International Astronautical Conference in Washington DC this October 21-25, 2019. PoSSUM members will give several key presentations on IVA and EVA space suit test and evaluation as well as on two educational outreach programs that PoSSUM sponsors: the PoSSUM 13 and Out Astronaut.
PoSSUM Prepares Gravity-Offset Laboratory for EVA Space Suit Testing Project PoSSUM has developed a gravity-offset laboratory in partnership wtih Kansas State University and the Canadian Space Agency. The two-axis system will be able to simulate micorgravity conditions as well as lunar and Martian gravity in 1-g terrestrial environments through use of active motor control and air-bearing ‘frictionless’ control surfaces. An initial class of 12 Project PoSSUM Scientist-Astroanut Candiates will be the first to test the Final Frontier Design Extravehicular Activity (EVA) space suit prototype in varying gravity conditions as part of EVA 104, a reserach course and citizen-science program titled ‘EVA Space Suit Test and Evaluation’ which will be held in the gravity offset laboratory environment. EVA 104 extends upon the introductory life support system curriculum presented in Dr. Erik Seedhouse’s EVA 101 Life Support Systems course to include topics on specific EVA space suit systems and test and validation procedures. The EVA 104 students will complete initial training with EVA space suits that will include an historical analysis of US and Russian EVA Space Suits and also a practical introduction to the use of various EVA space suit systems. Students will also be verse in EVA space suit diagnostics and repair, biomonitoring systems, and suit maintenance. Prior to testing, students will also be introduced to Mission Control Operations, etiquette and terminology, test roles and responsibilities, EVA Testing Procedure Development, and Airlocks and Airlock Procedures. Students will be responsible to develop testing procedures based on tools and procedures developed in EVA 102 (Operational Space Medicine), EVA 103 (Planetary Field Geology), or for microgravity operations. From 15-19 October 2019, the PoSSUM scientist-astronaut canddiates will receive training and simulation in EVA space suit donning and doff procedures as both the wearer of the suit and as an assistant. Additional training wil lbe provided on chest control board operations, cooling system operations, and communication and lighting system operations. Students will then receive an introduction to gravity offset systems (Lunar, Martian, and microgravity operations). To increase the fidelity of the microgravity tests, PoSSUM engineers have developed a full-scale mockup of the Quest Airlock on the International Space Station. Additionally, PoSSUM will use a test bed of lunar regolith simulant to test surface EVA procedures and applications of the students tools on a simulated lunar EVA. Evaluations will be held in both lunar surface EVA conditions and in orbital microgravity conditions. Surface EVA evaluations in lunar gravity will evaluate use of five tools: 1) a scooper, 2) a drill, 3) a hammer, 4) a soil sampler, and 5) a spectrometer. Additionally, remote rover operations are planned. Microgravity operations on teh airlock mockup will include drill, panel removal. and maintenance operations, hatch operations, camera mounting and operation, and translation using handrails and carabiners. Studnets also recieve MCC operational training, medical monitoring training, and gravity offset system operational training so that they can better function in test teams. Reserach invvolving a comparative evaluation of finger, hand, and upper body strength in unsuited, suited and unpressurized, and suited and pressurized environments are planned.
PoSSUM Extended IVA Space Suit Microgravity Evaluations to be held at the National Reserach Council of Canada this October Eighteen PoSSUM members will participate in the 2019 microgravity space suit evaluation program at the National Reserach Council of Canada this 7-11 October 2019. These tests will continue on the 2018 campaign where pressurized, suited test subject will perform a variety of micorgravity experiments along with an unsuited test subject. This year’s experients will include a solid body rotation experiment from the University of Maryland, a biomonitoring system test with the Canadian Space Agency, a fluid cell experiment from MIT, an aeroponic test experiment from Ireland, and experiments from winning student teams selected by the PoSSUM 13 project including experiments from Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico.
Eight Scientist-Astronaut Candidates graduate in PoSSUM Class 1901 Project PoSSUM graduated eight new Scientist-Astronaut Candidates as part of PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Class 1901. Additionally, PoSSUM graduated fifteen students as part of the Advanced PoSSUM Academy, a preparatory program designed for undergraduate students. The new PoSSUM graduates will become involved with existing research programs to study the upper-atmosphere, evaluate IVA and EVA spacesuits, and participate in educational outreach and technology development programs in preparation for airborne and suborbital research missions. The eight graduating candidates of Scientist-Astronaut Class 1901 include A. Dara Dotz of San Francisco, Calif.; Alexander Gabriel of Denver, Colo.; Rachel Jones of San Antonio, Tx.; Megan Kane of Richmond, Calif.; Eduardo Pena of Iquique, Chile; Ann-Sofie Scheurs of Mountain View, Calif; Matthew Tanner of Hazel, Ky.; and Valerie Richard of Alexandria, Va.
PoSSUM’s Scientist-Astronaut Class 1901
Applications now being accepted for PoSSUM Class 1902 Twelve new candidates will be selected for PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Class 1902, which will take place at Embry-Riddle from 20-25 September 2019. The Advanced PoSSUM Academy will be held from 23-27 March 2019. Interested individuals should apply online at www.projectpossum.org no later than 31 July 2019.
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