Aouda Test Campaign 17A
In January 2017 the test campaign 17A will be performed on the spacesuits Aouda.X and Aouda.S.
Testing will be done on various subsystems of the suit to either commission new items, re-qualify evolved systems or measure performance, ranging from thermal testing, head-up-Display, glove dexterity and so on. To provide Mars like temperatures a cryo-chamber will be used to perform the tests under realistic circumstances, also a state-of-the-art radio frequency spectrum measurement will be done.
- Evaluate and document selected subsystems of the Aouda spacesuit simulator for their performance and identify vulnerabilities. This includes the evaluation of selected complementary hardware items, such as the WLAN infrastructure, solar cells, a 360° camera and testing selected new operational procedures.
- Identify the need for follow-up evolutions of the Aouda spacesuit simulator in hindsight of the AMADEE-18 mission
- Provide a training opportunity for students to be part of a structured test campaign and share the fascination of Mars exploration with a wide audience.
11 different tests will take place between the 2nd and the 6th of January 2017 in Seefeld and Innsbruck, Tyrol. Due to some software programming that might not be finished by January, tests 06, 08, 10, 12, 13 and 14 are planned for February.
The following tests have been scheduled:
| Test | Description |
|---|---|
| 01 Humidity Test | Demonstrate that the suit performs nominal under humid or light rain conditions. |
| 02 Head-up Display / HMI | Functionalities implemented in summer 2016 should perform nominal and show up on the head-up-display and be commanded by the analog astronaut. |
| 03 Sensor Validation | The sensors shall demonstrate their performance under various environmental conditions. |
| 04 Radiation Signature | This test measures the suits electromagnetic emission spectrum. |
| 05 Connectivity | The range of the suit’s communication system is tested |
| 06 Battery | Battery characterization. In this test the batteries connected to the suit will be tested. |
| 07 Thermal Heating | A cryo/heat-test shall evaluate the suits performance between -110° to 35° Celsius. |
| 08 | |
| 09 Ergonomics | The ergonomic capabilities of the suit and its comfortability are measured- |
| 10 | |
| 11 Glove Dexterity | Glove Dexterity |
| 12 | |
| 13 CWS | Caution and Warning System Validation |
| 14 Mass budget | Mass Budget and CG |
| 15 Exoskeleton Stress Test | This test analysis the ergonomics of the exoskeleton for its next generation version. |
| 16 Tesla Coil | A tesla coil will be deployed to test the vulnerability of the Aouda suit to lighting produced by Martian dust devils. |