Orlan space suit
{{Short description|Series of space suit models from Russia}}
image:iss022e023623.jpg next to two Orlan-MK models on the International Space Station]]
image:Sharipov one.jpg, next to the Orlan-M spacesuit]]
The Orlan space suit ({{langx|ru|Орлан|lit=sea eagle}}) is a series of semi-rigid one-piece space suit models designed and built by NPP Zvezda. They have been used for spacewalks (EVAs) in the Russian space program, the successor to the Soviet space program, and by space programs of other countries, including NASA.{{Cite web|url=http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/references/r-d-cul-brief-9-4.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011116164500/http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/references/r-d-cul-brief-9-4.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 16, 2001|title=NASA Press Briefing|access-date=November 8, 2007|publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration|year=1997|author=NASA}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESA_Permanent_Mission_in_Russia/SEMSYKMKPZD_0.html |title=Orlan spacesuit |access-date=November 8, 2007 |publisher=European Space Agency |year=2004 |author=ESA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826065530/http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESA_Permanent_Mission_in_Russia/SEMSYKMKPZD_0.html |archive-date=August 26, 2007 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/craft/orlan.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021117165514/http://astronautix.com/craft/orlan.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 17, 2002|title=Orlan Space Suit|access-date=November 8, 2007|publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica|year=2007|author=Encyclopedia Astronautica}}
History
The first spacewalk using an Orlan suit took place on December 20, 1977, on the Soviet space station Salyut 6, during the Soyuz 26 mission. Yuri Romanenko and Georgi Grechko tested the Orlan-D space suit. The Orlan-DM was used for the first time on August 2, 1985, by the cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Viktor Savinykh of Salyut 7.
The Orlan space suits were used for spacewalks on the Salyut stations, but for Mir they were replaced by the Orlan-DMA and Orlan-M suits: The Orlan-DMA was used for the first time in November 1988, by the cosmonaut Musa Manarov from the Mir space station. The Orlan-M continued in use on Mir from 1997 until the end of the station's operational life and is now used on the International Space Station. Orlan space suits have been used by Russian, American, European, Canadian and Chinese astronauts.
On February 3, 2006, a retired Orlan fitted with a radio transmitter, dubbed SuitSat-1, was launched into orbit from the International Space Station.{{Cite web|url=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/060204_exp12_eva2.html|title=So Long, SuitSat: Astronauts Launch Spacesuit in ISS Spacewalk |access-date=November 8, 2007|publisher=Space.com|year=2006|author=Tariq Malik}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.space.com/news/cs_060203_suitsat_stats.html|title=Orlan Overboard: The Suit Behind the Sat |access-date=November 8, 2007|publisher=Space.com|year=2006|author=Robert Z. Pearlman for CollectSpace.com}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.spacetoday.org/Satellites/Hamsats/Suitsat.html|title=Suitsat: An empty spacesuit broadcasting to Earth|access-date=November 8, 2007|publisher=Space Today Online|year=2006|author=Space Today Online}}
In April 2004, China imported 13 Orlan spacesuits from Russia: Three for EVA, two for airlock training, four for neutral buoyancy tank training, four for testing the EVA support system on the Shenzhou spacecraft.{{Cite press release |title=王兆耀：神七出舱活动俄专家提供了技术支持 |date=2008-09-24 |location=Jiuquan |url=http://scitech.people.com.cn/GB/132659/8098265.html |language=zh |access-date=2018-08-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809060826/http://scitech.people.com.cn/GB/132659/8098265.html |archive-date=2018-08-09 |trans-title=Wang Zhaoyao: Russian Experts Provided Technical Support for Shenzhou 7's Extravehicular Activities |agency=Xinhua News Agency}} Various components on the EVA suits and airlock training suits, including electrical and communication equipments, were designed and manufactured by China. In Chinese, Orlan spacesuits are referred by the literal translation of {{lang|ru|Орлан}}, Haiying. ({{zh|s=海鹰|p=Hǎiyīng|l=sea eagle}}) On 27 September 2008, Liu Boming wore one of the Orlan suits in order to assist Zhai Zhigang during the space walk portion of Shenzhou 7 mission.{{cite web |last=McDowell |first=Jonathan |url=http://planet4589.org/space/jsr/back/news.601 |title=JSR No. 601 |work=Jonathan's Space Report |date=2008-10-12 |access-date=2012-07-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212145624/http://www.planet4589.org/space/jsr/back/news.601 |archive-date=2012-02-12 |url-status=dead }}
In June 2009, the latest computerized Orlan-MK version was tested during a five-hour spacewalk to install new equipment on the International Space Station.{{cn|date=April 2023}} The new suit's main improvement is the replacement of the radio-telemetry equipment in the Portable Life Support System backpack which contains a mini-computer. This computer processes data from the spacesuit's various systems and provides a malfunction warning. It then outlines a contingency plan which is displayed on an LCD screen on the right chest part of the spacesuit.{{cn|date=April 2023}}
In September 2020, it was announced that Zvezda had started manufacturing space suits for Indian astronauts, part of the Gaganyaan crewed mission, four of which had begun training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia in 2019.{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/india-gaganyaan-mission-russia-zvezda-6589334/|title=Explained:Zvezda, the Russian firm making suits for India's Gaganyaan astronauts|date=5 October 2020}}
Design
Image:ISS-11 Phillips at EVA.jpg participates in an extra-vehicular activity. Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev is seen in Phillips' helmet visor.]]
The Orlan space suit has gone through several models. Space-rated designations include the Orlan-D, Orlan-DM, Orlan-DMA, and Orlan-M models; the Orlan-GN, Orlan-T, and Orlan-V are used in training and are used underwater.{{Cite web|url=http://www.npointercos.jp/Zvezda.html|title=Zvezda's Museum and Spacesuit Photo Report|access-date=November 8, 2007|publisher=NPO International Cooperation in Space|year=2007|author=NPP InterCoS}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.planet4589.org/space/book/astronauts/suits/orlan.html|title=The History of Spaceflight Chapter 7.2: Zvezda Orlan spacesuits|access-date=November 8, 2007|year=2000|author= Jonathan McDowell}} The latest model, called Orlan-MKS, has been used on the ISS since 2017. The original Orlan suit, with a two and a half hour operation time, was designed as an orbital suit for use on the Soviet Lunar programme, although it was abandoned in favour of a model with a greater operating capacity. The Orlan-D expanded the operation time to three hours; the Orlan-M to nine hours. The designed average lifespan of the spacesuit is four years (or up to 15 EVA's) and, according to tradition at the manufacturing plant, suits with blue stripes are assigned even production numbers and red, odd numbers.{{Cite web|url=https://rostec.ru/en/news/4513160/|title=Space fashion|date=11 April 2014}}{{Cite web|url=https://suzymchale.com/ruspace/rusuits.html| title=Russian spacesuits| date=2008}}
The Orlan space suit is semi-rigid, with a solid torso and flexible arms.{{Cite web|url=http://www.zvezda-npp.ru/english/04.htm|title=Space Suits|access-date=November 8, 2007|publisher=JSC RD&PE "Zvezda", Russia|author=JSC RD&PE "Zvezda"|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071101075957/http://www.zvezda-npp.ru/english/04.htm|archive-date=November 1, 2007}} It includes a rear hatch entry through the backpack that allows it to be donned relatively quickly (approximately five minutes). The first Orlan suits were attached to the spacecraft by an umbilical tether that supplied power and communications links. The Orlan-DM and later models are self-sustaining.
Models
=Lunar orbit suit=
- Name: Orlan Lunar Orbital Spacesuit
- Missions: Development occurred from 1967–1971, no flight models that were operational were produced.{{cite book |title= Russian Spacesuits |author=Isaac Abramov & 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}}
- Mass: {{convert|59|kg|abbr=on}}
- Primary life support: 5 hours
=D model=
=DM model=
=DMA model=
=M model=
=MK model=
- Name: Orlan-MK
- Missions: Used on ISS. Used from 2009 to 2017.[https://archive.today/20130104212151/http://suzymchale.com/ruspace/orlanmk.html RuSpace]
- Operating pressure: {{convert|400|hPa|abbr=on}}
- Mass: {{convert|120|kg|abbr=on}}
- Primary life support: 7 hours
=MKS model=
- Name: Orlan-MKS
- Missions: Used on ISS. Used since 2017.
- Operating pressure: {{convert|400|hPa|abbr=on}}
- Mass: {{convert|110|kg|abbr=on}}{{Cite web |last=Zak |first=Anatoly |date=February 26, 2025 |title=Orlan MKS spacesuit |url=https://www.russianspaceweb.com/orlan_mks.html |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=RussianSpaceWeb.com}}
- Primary life support: 7 hours
- Service life: 6 years; 15–20 EVAs
Training
Orlan suits are used in the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center in Star City, Moscow: the Orlan-GN for water immersion training, the Orlan-T for airlock procedure training, and the Orlan-V for low gravity flight training.
Image:OrlanDonning.jpg enters an Orlan-M suit through the rear hatch. (NASA)]]
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Orlan space suits}}
- [http://www.myspacemuseum.com/orlan.htm Orlan space suit images at Myspacemuseum.com]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_Db6z7BVAs Orlan Spacesuit EVA (Video) - Dec 23, 2008]
{{space suit}}