Spacesuit Helmet Architecture Trade Study

Spacesuit helmets have taken many forms since the beginning of human spaceflight. From removable helmets with actuating visors to clear bubble helmets with excellent field of view, the varied helmet designs of past and current spacesuits affirm the importance of selecting the right helmet for the mission. Different missions, vehicles, spacesuits, required functionalities, and available capabilities all drive various trades to determine the best helmet design for a given spacesuit. Trades that will ensure requirements of the mission are met, the astronauts are kept safe, and the right combination of features and functions are provided to make use of the helmet intuitive and nondemanding. David Clark Company Incorporated (DCCI) has been designing and producing helmets for a multitude of high-altitude flight suits and spacesuits for over 60 years. Throughout that time, different styles of DCCI manufactured helmets have been flown on the U-2 Dragon Lady, the Gemini capsule, Space Shuttle, and Boeing Starliner. With experience in a range of helmet designs including conformal, non-conformal, and soft helmets, DCCI has developed a set of criteria that can be utilized in a trade study to determine the ideal helmet concept for each specific suit or mission. In addition to current and past DCCI helmet designs, this paper will discuss those criteria, how they influence the trade study, and potential design concepts that emerge as top candidates for future spacesuits based on dynamic scoring and weighting of the criteria. There is no single helmet design that is best for all spacesuits or missions but utilizing the criteria and design concepts developed by DCCI, the optimal helmet for a specific mission can be selected and implemented with confidence.