Extravehicular Activity Hardware for International Space Station

Abstract

The International Space Station (ISS) relies heavily on extravehicular activity (EVA) for assembly and maintenance. The ISS EVA system provides the translation aids, tools, and support hardware to allow the crew to assemble and maintain the U.S. portion of the ISS. The EVA hardware supports the three primary phases of an EVA: translation of crew and hardware to the worksite; worksite setup and restraint; and conducting the actual EVA task. The primary hardware items and the uses of the hardware are described. In addition, a brief overview of the Russian ISS EVA capability is provided along with plans for interoperability between U.S. and Russian EVA.