NDX-2 Advanced Lunar Suit

The NDX-2 is a new-generation pressure suit developed for the lunar environment. Its design has been led by Gary L. Harris (Chief Designer) and Pablo de León (Project Manager). In September of 2009, the prototype parts were integrated and assembled at the UND Human Spaceflight Laboratory with the assistance of a team of graduate students. In February 2010, the first test was conducted, the purpose of which was to pressurize the suit up to 2 PSI and perform a donning (a procedure in which a person puts on the space suit). The objectives of this test were to assess the grade of mobility of the material and the design suitability.

The NDX-2 is one of the elements in the integration of the NASA EPSCoR CAN 2009 grant project "Integrated Strategies for the Human Exploration of the Moon and Mars." It is connected to an electrical rover by means of a suit port or suit lock assembly. This concept, together with the Portable Life Support System (PLSS) assembly, and hatches, are all designed to function cooperatively for:

• relatively rapid coupling and uncoupling of the sealed suit and sealed vehicle
• coupling and uncoupling of the PLSS assembly and the suit
• transfer of the PLSS assembly and the wearer through the hatch at the appropriate phases of operation