Group 5 – ORBIT 5

Team Members

Ted Farrar, Hannah Shanker, Lucia Pucciarelli, Jared Amrose, Rob Swiney

Abstract

ORBIT5 is a single person spacecraft designed to combine the practicality and efficiency of traditional spacesuits with the comfort and maneuverability of larger spacecraft while performing EVAs aboard the International Space Station. ORBIT5, a NASA funded project, will launch aboard the cargo bay of the Falcon 9 and remotely dock to the ISS. Designed with the ability to operate 100% remotely, ORBIT5 will go where no astronaut has gone before, and will be able to venture into areas considered too dangerous for a human in a spacesuit. The sleek monocoque design of ORBIT5 features the DREAMS (Dexterous Remote EVA Articulated Manipulator System) unit, a system of three highly dexterous robotic arms which will facilitate the astronaut in performing precise repairs and additions to the ISS. Weighing in at 792 kg, ORBIT5 holds a payload container, a grapple fixture, a large docking port, and a fused silica pressure panel that equips the astronaut with a wide field-of-view outside of the craft. To ensure the comfort of the astronaut during long 8-hour missions within the craft, an ergonomic seating structure in addition to an easily accessible control panel has been developed. To streamline the EVA process, ORBIT5 will remain pressurized at all times to comfortably house an astronaut, as well as eliminate the need for lengthy decompression/recompression procedures used in traditional spacesuit EVAs. Equipped with sixteen thrusters and cold gas propellant, ORBIT5 will be agile enough to work around the intricate structures that exist on the current ISS and will play a major role in the assembly of future projects such as the Lunar Gateway and Orbital Reef – helping pave the way for the next steps in humanity’s journey into the stars. ORBIT5 features an extensive life support system, thermal protection system, and vibroacoustic protection system to ensure that both the craft and the astronaut remain comfortable and protected throughout the craft’s entire lifespan. ORBIT5 maintains precise attitude control during both manned and un-manned flight thanks to its complete GNC system of star trackers, IMUs, and horizon sensors, as well as a powerful and extensively tested flight computer to ensure mission success. ORBIT5 can easily communicate with the ISS crew using an X-Band Transceiver and patch antennae, so that the craft is as simple to fly while sitting inside, as it is remotely. Save the date for ORBIT5’s new debut, launching in October 2030!

Pitch Video