Lightweight, Flexible, and Freezable Heat Pump/Radiator for EVA Suits, Phase I

Manned lunar exploration will require extravehicular activity (EVA) suits that surpass existing technology. We propose an innovative thermal control system for EVA suits that uses an absorption heat pump with a flexible radiator that offers reduced size, lighter weight, conformability, rugged construction, and freeze tolerance. The heat pump absorbs a crew member's metabolic heat and rejects it via radiation to the environment. Innovative materials and construction enable a very lightweight and flexible system that is rugged and easily repairable. In Phase I we will prove feasibility by assessing material suitability for lunar operations, demonstrating the critical fabrication steps for key components, then testing these components to demonstrate thermal performance. In Phase II we will build, demonstrate, and deliver a complete prototype heat pump system.

Data and Resources

Field Value
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identifier TECHPORT_6747
issued 2007-07-01
landingPage https://techport.nasa.gov/view/6747
modified 2020-01-29
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  • National Provider
  • North America
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  • amerigeoss
  • ckan
  • completed
  • geo
  • geoss
  • johnson-space-center
  • national
  • north-america
  • united-states
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maintainer TECHPORT SUPPORT
maintainer_email hq-techport@mail.nasa.gov
metadata_created 2025-11-20T12:35:24.995503
metadata_modified 2025-11-20T12:35:24.995507
notes Manned lunar exploration will require extravehicular activity (EVA) suits that surpass existing technology. We propose an innovative thermal control system for EVA suits that uses an absorption heat pump with a flexible radiator that offers reduced size, lighter weight, conformability, rugged construction, and freeze tolerance. The heat pump absorbs a crew member's metabolic heat and rejects it via radiation to the environment. Innovative materials and construction enable a very lightweight and flexible system that is rugged and easily repairable. In Phase I we will prove feasibility by assessing material suitability for lunar operations, demonstrating the critical fabrication steps for key components, then testing these components to demonstrate thermal performance. In Phase II we will build, demonstrate, and deliver a complete prototype heat pump system.
num_resources 4
num_tags 10
title Lightweight, Flexible, and Freezable Heat Pump/Radiator for EVA Suits, Phase I