The steps spacesuit engineers and technicians followed in achieving a goal of creating reliable spacesuit systems for exploration of the surface of the Moon and for construction and maintenance work in Earth orbit were the same as those used in nearly every technological endeavor:
The pages that follow outline a multifaceted technology education activity on spacesuits. This activity, designed for an entire class to work on as a team, combines skills and content from science, mathematics, and technology. The challenge is to design and build a full-scale wearable model spacesuit to be used to explore the surface of Mars. Since no human expeditions to Mars are planned for many years, actual Martian spacesuits have not yet been built and there are no "right" answers. Consequently, this activity permits students to participate in "leading edge" research.
The overview of the activity is contained in a Design Brief format. (Reproducible
master on page 37.) It begins with a title and a context statement (introduction)
and is followed by a challenge to create a Martian spacesuit. This is
followed by information on materials, equipment, procedures, and evaluation.
The success of the activity depends upon how well the students organize
their work and communicate with each other. A computer with project software
can be used to monitor the progress of the project or a flow chart can
be constructed on a chalk or bulletin board. As an added aid to communication,
Interface Control Documents (ICD) are created as systems are designed.
These documents are completed by the teams. Critical details about systems,
such as size, shape, and function, are recorded on the form. The form
has a grid where diagrams can be made. ICD forms are then placed in a
notebook and made available to all teams as a coordination tool. An ICD
master is provided.
Exploration Briefs (EBs) are suggestions for activities that can be used to help students understand the nature of the environment for which they are designing a spacesuit. They provide background information and instructions for simple demonstrations and experiments that may be tried. A "bank" of additional ideas follow the EBs.
The guide concludes with appendices that list resources, such as NASA
publications and Internet web sites, where students can obtain more information
to help them in their research and development work.