Berkut spacesuit
Image:Berkut_spacesuit_in_museum.jpg
The Berkut (Russian Беркут, meaning golden eagle) is a space suit model developed to be used for extravehicular activity for the Voskhod 2 mission aboard a Voskhod spacecraft on the first spacewalk. It was developed by NPP Zvezda in 1964–1965. It was a modified SK-1 suit. It was only used by the Voskhod 2 crew.
Description
The Berkut spacesuit had two pressurization settings, one at 0.27 atmospheres and the other at 0.40 atmospheres (nominal mode). Movement within the suit was seriously restricted.
The suit includes: helmet, spacesuit, and protective clothing. The astronaut's life is maintained through the on-board life support system or the backpack-type automatic system. The safety harness has been used during spacewalks.
The helmet of the suit cannot be rotated, and it has a quick-release buckle. It includes a hard hat, a lifting visor and a light filter. The helmet is made of aluminum alloy, the size does not affect the movement of the head. The visor of the helmet is made of aluminum alloy. A light filter similar to that on an aircraft is placed inside the helmet.
The astronaut's suit has a three-layer shell - a load-bearing layer on the outside and two sealed layers (main layer and backup layer) on the inside.
The protective clothing is a bodysuit made of durable fabric and has multiple layers of vacuum insulation.
The automated system consists of a KP-55 oxygen device and three oxygen cylinders placed in a backpack. Before going into space, the astronaut must put on the backpack and secure it to the spacesuit using a suspension system. Oxygen from the cylinders is directed into the helmet, then into the shell of the spacesuit and then released into the environment. A backup oxygen supply system is also provided - through a hose from the gas cylinders installed in the air chamber. This system is capable of regulating the pressure in the spacesuit.
The safety harness is 7 m long and includes shock absorbers, steel cables, emergency oxygen supply tubes, and electrical wires.
Specifications
- Name: Berkut Spacesuit
- Derived from: SK-1 spacesuit
- Manufacturer: NPP Zvezda
- Missions: Voskhod 2
- Function: Intra-vehicular activity (IVA) and orbital Extra-vehicular activity (EVA){{cite book |title= Russian Spacesuits |author1=Isaac Abramov |author2=Ingemar Skoog |year= 2003 |publisher= Praxis Publishing Ltd. |location= Chichester, UK |isbn= 1-85233-732-X |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=f7pZosHqkbEC&q=S-901J+suit }}
- Operating Pressure: {{convert|400|hPa|abbr=on}}
- Suit Weight: {{convert|20|kg|abbr=on}}
- Backpack Weight: {{convert|21|kg|abbr=on}}
- Total Weight: {{convert|41|kg|abbr=on}}
- Primary Life Support: 45 minutes
References
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- [https://web.archive.org/web/20161212222357/http://www.astronautix.com/b/berkut.html Berkut] at Encyclopedia Astronautica
- http://galspace.spb.ru/museum-1.php?foto_page=38 {{in lang|ru}}
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External links
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- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpX5vl3dzZc Video of Voskod 2 mission (Russian)]
- [http://galspace.spb.ru/museum-1.php?foto_page=38 Photo of Berkut space suit at Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow (38 & 39)]
- [http://www.npointercos.jp/images/Zvezda2007ssIMG_2963a.jpg Photo of outermost layer removed]
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Category:Soviet and Russian spacesuits
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