NASA Spacesuit fittings - High fidelity replicas

[lmgill]

I just came across this thread and ...

WOUAH !!!! What a wonderful job, what a rendering close to perfection

For your information, please tell me how much an A7L pressure suit connector would cost.

You write (and I quote) : "I have also been working on Apollo gas connectors, also modelled directly from real fittings."

- will the copy conform to the original in size and function?

Sorry for my poor english (I'm french)

Current offerings are on the Orbital Surplus eBay page. I will be have other pieces offered and am always open to suggestions from people, of what they may want.
Over the past 35 years, I have pretty much made every spacesuit that has been in space, and many of the high altitude suits as well.

Orbital surplus has also been selling surplus items from our storage, both space related, as well as old film projects. So it is a bit of a "wild card" of what you will find there.

 

[Apolloman]

Current offerings are on the Orbital Surplus eBay page. I will be have other pieces offered and am always open to suggestions from people, of what they may want.
Over the past 35 years, I have pretty much made every spacesuit that has been in space, and many of the high altitude suits as well.

Orbital surplus has also been selling surplus items from our storage, both space related, as well as old film projects. So it is a bit of a "wild card" of what you will find there.

Thank you for your prompt reply
Indeed, I would be interested in buying a Class I replica when they become available.

your 3D diagrams are very very very interesting. I've always tried to understand how connectors work. are they designed like the real thing?

 

[Apolloman]

Over the past 35 years, I have pretty much made every spacesuit that has been in space, and many of the high altitude suits as well.

Hello Imgill, I hope you're well
From what I understand from what you have written: you are a specialist in pressure suits. (or I may be wrong)

let's say you are, and that's good because I need a specialist's opinion.

while browsing the discussions about the mythical A7L pressure suit, I came across this photo



that you posted on April 03, 2020 on this thread : apollo-a7l-moon-suit

if you don't mind, I have a few questions about this equipment :

- Thought I recognized the incomplete ventilation system of an A7L pressure suit for EV A7L PGA or CMP A7LB PGA (they are more or less the same) ... YES/NO ??

I have a question that bothers me a lot... On this picture (sorry it's in French) in page 108
from the document "APOLLO OPERATIONS HANDBOOK EXTRA VEHICULAR MOBILITY UNIT VOLUME I: SYSTEM DESCRIPTION CSD-A-789-(1) APOLLO 14"



and from the writings of document "United States Patent 3 751 727 Aug. 14, 1973 space suit" where it says :

"Oxygen may enter through either one of the gas inlet connectors 56 or 58 since these connectors are in fluid communication with each other by way of an intermediate plenum 372. A similar plenum 374 joins the gas outlet connectors 60 and 62 so that the outlet may be taken from either of these connectors."

I'd like to know which part the engineers call the plenum chamber : is it only the machined metal lower housings (blue or red on your photo), is it the little part (ducts) that connects them together, or the complete assembly (lower housings + conduits between them)???

I'd also like to use your photo to illustrate my article, what do you say??
(Of course you would be noted as the rightful owner of this photo, and if you wish I could also link to your sites.)

Please help me

Thank in advance

 

[lmgill]

Hello Imgill, I hope you're well
From what I understand from what you have written: you are a specialist in pressure suits. (or I may be wrong)

let's say you are, and that's good because I need a specialist's opinion.

while browsing the discussions about the mythical A7L pressure suit, I came across this photo

View attachment 1811586

that you posted on April 03, 2020 on this thread : apollo-a7l-moon-suit

if you don't mind, I have a few questions about this equipment :

- Thought I recognized the incomplete ventilation system of an A7L pressure suit for EV A7L PGA or CMP A7LB PGA (they are more or less the same) ... YES/NO ??

I have a question that bothers me a lot... On this picture (sorry it's in French) in page 108
from the document "APOLLO OPERATIONS HANDBOOK EXTRA VEHICULAR MOBILITY UNIT VOLUME I: SYSTEM DESCRIPTION CSD-A-789-(1) APOLLO 14"

View attachment 1811587

and from the writings of document "United States Patent 3 751 727 Aug. 14, 1973 space suit" where it says :

"Oxygen may enter through either one of the gas inlet connectors 56 or 58 since these connectors are in fluid communication with each other by way of an intermediate plenum 372. A similar plenum 374 joins the gas outlet connectors 60 and 62 so that the outlet may be taken from either of these connectors."

I'd like to know which part the engineers call the plenum chamber : is it only the machined metal lower housings (blue or red on your photo), is it the little part (ducts) that connects them together, or the complete assembly (lower housings + conduits between them)???

I'd also like to use your photo to illustrate my article, what do you say??
(Of course you would be noted as the rightful owner of this photo, and if you wish I could also link to your sites.)

Please help me

Thank in advance

I am a bit of a specialist in pressure suits.
You may use my photo in your article. (One below as well, if desired)
I'm not sure if the "plenum chamber" is just the machined chamber or not. But the use of "chamber" in English, would make me think they are referring to the machine red and blue pieces only. I would consider the rest of the tubes, to be the plenum.
Here is a photo of the entire plenum system I had. I had the missing red fitting at one time, but I fear someone at my shop may have stolen it.

 

[Apolloman]

Hello Imgill and thank you for your reply.
If I have understood you correctly (sorry in advance if this is not the case), you consider the machined metal lower housings as the chamber and the tubes connecting them as the plenum and the whole as the plenum chamber assembly.

here's the diagram I'm having trouble with, taken from the document "United States Patent 3 751 727 Aug. 14, 1973 space suit" (I forgot to include it in my previous message) showing the numbered parts 372 and 374



As a reminder : "Oxygen may enter through either one of the gas inlet connectors 56 or 58 since these connectors are in fluid communication with each other by way of an intermediate plenum 372. A similar plenum 374 joins the gas outlet connectors 60 and 62 so that the outlet may be taken from either of these connectors."


and most importantly, thank you for your permission to use the photo (either one) it's really nice of you...

of course you'll be credited with the photo, and you'll be listed in the acknowledgements section of this page :

Présentation du site

alongside the people who have helped me in the past and still help me today with the development of my website.

... you'll soon be able to find the photo on this page in the pressurization section (pressurisation in French).

Scaphandre spatial a7l

Best regard

EDIT :
That's it, I've understood what you were trying to describe (it took me a while...) I think you are right.

thanks again

 

[lmgill]

Finally got around to finishing the S-1034 / ACES glove disconnects in the proper colors. Pretty happy how they turned out.
You can't get much more accurate, without obtaining the real Airlock fittings. You can interchange my parts with the real fittings, but I have made changes to avoid ITAR restrictions. Machined 6061 aluminum, with ball bearings on the glove side. On the ACES and the S-1034, the complex side, mounts to the glove, not on the suit, unlike most spacesuit glove disconnects.
I have extras, which will be available on the Orbital Surplus eBay store and eventually on the O.S. website (when it finally gets finished....)

 

[Hughes]

Finally got around to finishing the S-1034 / ACES glove disconnects in the proper colors. Pretty happy how they turned out.
You can't get much more accurate, without obtaining the real Airlock fittings. You can interchange my parts with the real fittings, but I have made changes to avoid ITAR restrictions. Machined 6061 aluminum, with ball bearings on the glove side. On the ACES and the S-1034, the complex side, mounts to the glove, not on the suit, unlike most spacesuit glove disconnects.
I have extras, which will be available on the Orbital Surplus eBay store and eventually on the O.S. website (when it finally gets finished....)

View attachment 1821252View attachment 1821251

These are epic next level.

 

[TDahl]

Beautiful!

 

[joberg]

Wow...better than that? Nope: the bar is high with these

 

[antarusfree]

Well, nice work

 

[lmgill]

Here is a video of the S-1035 glove disconnects. (please forgive the fuzz on my ACES gloves.)
Orbital Surplus has a couple of these for sale.
Now on to finishing the s-1030 / Gemini helmet disconnects. (Like these, are completely accurate, with the full 16 pin locking system)

 

[Apolloman]

Here is a video of the S-1035 glove disconnects. (please forgive the fuzz on my ACES gloves.)
Orbital Surplus has a couple of these for sale.
Now on to finishing the s-1030 / Gemini helmet disconnects. (Like these, are completely accurate, with the full 16 pin locking system)

Fantastic work

soon something at this level on the Apollo material ??

Best

 

[lmgill]

Something like this perhaps?

 

[Apolloman]

"Holy ****"... Is it the same locking system as on the originals?

It looks like the same principle as for the bubble helmet ring.

 

[sphericalcow]

The ACES connects look great! (so does the 3d model of the AL7B connect)
Will you be offering them with the correct OPEN - LOCK and LOCK - OPEN markings?

Here's a picture of my functional EMU glove connects. I constructed and printed them in ABS-like resin.
The golden parts are brass.

 

[joberg]

Beautiful work

Something like this perhaps?View attachment 1837668

Wow and wow again

 

[lmgill]

Another fitting, recently finished is the Gemini helmet disconnect.

 

[lmgill]

Another piece of hardware, is a "Low detail" Apollo helmet disconnect ring. I have made a number of matching Apollo rings in the past, with fully functional lock pin system, but wanted a less expensive option, but still metal.
This is also machined aluminum, and the same dimensions as a Apollo A7L ring, but with a simplified spring plunger locking system.

 

[Apolloman]

I have one question for you Imgill...

On the Apollo helmet disconnect ring (I'm talking about an original piece) the immobile lower part, attached to the TLSA was fastened with a compression band clamp..
My question is : what material was this compression band made of??

In the photo (sorry it's in French from my website), you can see the clamping system (steel), but as for the rest, I don't know..

By the way, one last one for the road..
- The area of the immobile lower part of helmet disconnect ring where the compression band rests and secures the TLSA is it smooth or grooved your replica seems to be grooved, and if so, why the grooves (on the original)???
(I couldn't find any photos)

Thank in advance

 

[lmgill]

I have one question for you Imgill...

On the Apollo helmet disconnect ring (I'm talking about an original piece) the immobile lower part, attached to the TLSA was fastened with a compression band clamp..
My question is : what material was this compression band made of??

In the photo (sorry it's in French from my website), you can see the clamping system (steel), but as for the rest, I don't know..

By the way, one last one for the road..
- The area of the immobile lower part of helmet disconnect ring where the compression band rests and secures the TLSA is it smooth or grooved your replica seems to be grooved, and if so, why the grooves (on the original)???
(I couldn't find any photos)

Thank in advance

Pretty sure the band clamp is stainless steel (do not know what alloy)
Yes, the clamping surface has raise ribs. The ribs are to insure a good seal between the bladder and the ring.