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Active TRL 2 (started at 2, targeting 8)
Exercise Countermeasure Systems (CMS) are critical to maintaining crew health while exposed to microgravity. A Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (VIS) system is required to isolate the loads generated during exercise from the vehicle structure, and to provide a stable base for the crewmember to exercise safely.
The CMS Exercise hardware on ISS all use passive VIS systems, due to the availability of the mass and volume that these designs require. However, some of these designs require upwards of 1000lbs countermass and are specific to the exercise hardware and modalities it provides, and location in the spacecraft. Future exploration vehicles are expected to be more constrained on available mass and volume, requiring a more compact VIS design.
Both Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) submitted proposals for an Active VIS in response to the Mars Campaign Office (MCO) FY27 New Start call for proposals. Based on specific expertise from both proposing organizations, MCO has directed that the teams collaborate on the project. In FY25, using discretional funds from JSC/ER (Software, Robotics, and Simulation Division), the JSC team out of ER7 (Simulation and Graphics Branch) evaluated 5 initial Active VIS concepts, before narrowing it down to two: the fixed-base and free-base concepts. At the end of FY25, the team recommended focusing on the fixed-base concept. This concept is different than the existing passive VIS systems that are free-base. As this New Start project kicked off in FY26, with that knowledge in hand, the team comprised of both JSC and JPL personnel agreed to focus on the fixed-base concept design, and identified two approaches for the 6 Degree of Freedom (6DOF) design: Stewart Platform (hexapod) and TRI-DAX (6 individual linear actuators and throwmasses). This project will first work the tasks needed to get to a single recommended AVIS design, and then start building hardware.
The project seeks to combine JSC’s expertise in exercise system development and corresponding analysis, with JPL’s expertise in precision active isolation system design to develop an Active VIS that helps close ESDMD Technology Gap #0401 with demonstrated performance. Specifically, this effort seeks to provide mass and volume savings on exploration vehicles.
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