Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue

Astronaut Mark Lee floats freely in space with the help of the SAFER system

SAFER

SAFER ( S implified A id f or E VA R Escue - simplified to help rescue EVA) is a small backpack system for space outdoor work (EVA) with American space suits from the Space Shuttle or the International Space Station . It is the successor to the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) and is only intended for use in emergencies.

SAFER is designed as a self-help system with which the astronaut can maneuver back to the spacecraft if the safety line breaks and there is no outside help nearby. It is worn at every EVA together with the American EMU spacesuit ( Extravehicular Mobility Unit , for example a unit for movement outside the vehicle ).

SAFER is attached to the EMU backpack, which contains the life support system, on the astronaut's back. The unit consists of a 35 cm high, 66 cm wide and 25 cm deep box with two arms on each side, each 53 cm high. Each arm is equipped with twelve small cold gas engines that work with nitrogen . The total mass is 38.5 kg (including 1.4 kg of gas). With SAFER, the astronaut can achieve a speed change of up to 3.0 m / s.

The system was developed at the Johnson Space Center . SAFER was first used in September 1994 by astronauts Mark Lee and Carl Meade during the STS-64 mission, during which a test flight was carried out without a leash. Jeff Wisoff and Mike Lopez-Alegria carried out another test in October 2000 on STS-92 .

Web links

Commons : Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue - collection of images, videos and audio files

NASA: A SAFER Way to Space Walk (English)
Space.com: Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER )

Individual evidence

↑ Suited for space walking. (No longer available online.) NASA, archived from the original on July 18, 2012 ; accessed on May 7, 2013 (English): "SAFER features the same maneuverability as the MMU but because its nitrogen tank only holds 1.4 kilograms of nitrogen gas, the total velocity change possible with the unit is 3.05 meters per second." Info: Der Archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2
↑ Mission Archives - STS-64. NASA, accessed May 7, 2013 .
^ STS-92, Mission Control Center Status Report # 15. NASA, October 18, 2000, accessed May 7, 2013 .

[1] Suited for space walking. (No longer available online.) NASA, archived from the original on July 18, 2012 ; accessed on May 7, 2013 (English): "SAFER features the same maneuverability as the MMU but because its nitrogen tank only holds 1.4 kilograms of nitrogen gas, the total velocity change possible with the unit is 3.05 meters per second." Info: Der Archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2

[2] Mission Archives - STS-64. NASA, accessed May 7, 2013 .

[3] STS-92, Mission Control Center Status Report # 15. NASA, October 18, 2000, accessed May 7, 2013 .