In conjunction with other parties, SOL-X is researching and developing a suit that will enable space divers to space dive from up to 62 miles (100 km) above the Earth‘s surface at the very edge of space, and land vertically using gyroscopic thruster boots instead of a parachute. Our goal is to release a production model of such a suit by 2016.
Example of space diving |
Clip about the rl mark vi |
The RL MARK VI suit is a customized version of the low-cost Intra-Vehicular Activity IVA 3G spacesuit designed by a 20-year NASA veteran. It makes use of Aerogel’s lightweight and Space Shuttle-like flexible insulation blankets to form a protective thermal layer. It is fitted with voice controlled augmented reality (AR) goggles from space company Juxtopia LLC that display a continuous stream of vital information to keep a space diver on course and within safety parameters throughout the jump. The stream of real-time dynamic analytics inform jumpers of their current altitude, elevation, acceleration and deceleration, internal/external temperatures,
heart rate, GPS location and FAA radar’s local airspace data stream and trajectory data. The suit system can be turned on and off, it can utilize built-in suit and light systems, maintain radio contact with ground control, and utilize its trajectory data systems to eject spent hardware from the suit at pre-determined altitudes. It has a warning system to anticipate threats and warn the diver of malfunctions preventing a safe landing. In anticipation of potential malfunctions, two failsafes -one being a parachute- provide the diver with the opportunity to bail out. There are power gloves that send signals to the suit’s Gravity Development Board (GDB) - a proprietary opensource hardware designed to serve as an interface between MARK VI’s critical systems and components - to manipulate positional orientation during descent while the gyroscopic thruster boots stabilize the diver for a vertical landing. The gyroscopic boots, controlled by the power gloves, perform two essential functions. Understanding there are no aerodynamic forces acting upon a diver to assist in stabilization, the gyros ensure maintenance of optimal altitude during descent. The other fail-safe is a ‘flat spin compensator’ that comes online in the event a diver loses altitude control for greater than an allotted five seconds. As a diver nears Earth’s surface, mini aerospike thrusters built into the boots ensure a seamless vertical landing--without the use of a parachute.
heart rate, GPS location and FAA radar’s local airspace data stream and trajectory data. The suit system can be turned on and off, it can utilize built-in suit and light systems, maintain radio contact with ground control, and utilize its trajectory data systems to eject spent hardware from the suit at pre-determined altitudes. It has a warning system to anticipate threats and warn the diver of malfunctions preventing a safe landing. In anticipation of potential malfunctions, two failsafes -one being a parachute- provide the diver with the opportunity to bail out. There are power gloves that send signals to the suit’s Gravity Development Board (GDB) - a proprietary opensource hardware designed to serve as an interface between MARK VI’s critical systems and components - to manipulate positional orientation during descent while the gyroscopic thruster boots stabilize the diver for a vertical landing. The gyroscopic boots, controlled by the power gloves, perform two essential functions. Understanding there are no aerodynamic forces acting upon a diver to assist in stabilization, the gyros ensure maintenance of optimal altitude during descent. The other fail-safe is a ‘flat spin compensator’ that comes online in the event a diver loses altitude control for greater than an allotted five seconds. As a diver nears Earth’s surface, mini aerospike thrusters built into the boots ensure a seamless vertical landing--without the use of a parachute.
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