Ventilation Loss and Pressurization in the NASA Launch/Entry Suit: Potential for Heat Stress

The potential of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Launch/Entry Suit (LES) for producing heat stress in a simulated Space Shuttle cabin environment has been studied. The testing was designed to identify potential heat stress hazards if the LES were pressurized or if ventilation were lost. Conditions were designed to simulate an extreme pre-launch situation, with chamber temperatures maintained at dry bulb temperature = 27.2 + or - 0.1 C, globe temperature = 27.3 + or - 0.1 C, and wet bulb temperature = 21.1+ or - 0.3 C. Two females and two males, aged 23-34 were employed in this study, with two subjects having exposure in all 3 conditions. Test durations in the ventilated (V) and unventilated (UV) conditions were designed for 480 minutes, which all subjects achieved. Pressurized runs (Pr) were designed for 45 minutes, which all subjects also achieved. While some significant differences related to experimental conditions were noted in rectal and mean skin temperatures, evaporation rates, sweat rates, and heart rate, these differences were not thought to be physiologically significant. The results indicate that the LES garment, in either the Pr or UV state, poses no danger of inducing unacceptable heat stress under the conditions expected within the Shuttle cabin launch or re-entry.