Single-Person Lunar Element

In the next four years, NASA and partners will be sending the next human beings to the lunar surface made possible with the passion, drive, and advancements in technology that have occurred since the last time humans have stepped foot on the lunar surface. Now, we are returning with the purpose of establishing a more sustainable foundation on the lunar surface to learn, adapt, and continue to push the boundaries of space exploration. The Single-Person Lunar Element presents astronauts with an alternative to a spacesuit by providing a pressurized shirt-sleeve work environment that will accommodate NASA's established anthropometric range and allow the astronauts to access the lunar surface quickly and safely. Extravehicular activities on the lunar surface are expected to last eight hours and two hours of that time is consumed by the overhead required to equip the spacesuits. Eliminating this overhead will allow astronauts to spend more time on the surface to explore and complete operations with the assistance of two robotic arms. Two modes of operation will be available by the Single-Person Lunar Element to support extravehicular activities within a 10 km range from the habitat or lander in which it would dock to. The first will allow an astronaut to physically operate the element from the cockpit and allow for a suited astronaut to mount and secure themselves to their station. The second mode will allow the crew on the lunar surface, Gateway, or back on Earth to operate the element telerobotically providing even more opportunities to complete surface operations. Designed with modularity in mind, the element can adapt to a variety of missions by equipping the necessary tools directly to the element itself. To establish a more permanent human presence on the lunar surface, a diverse set of solutions will be needed to achieve this. The Single-Person Lunar Element is presented as an alternative to a spacesuit that will allow astronauts to efficiently and safely complete surface operations.