Question SpaceX -- Civilian space "walk"

[JohnN]

Here is the article link: https://www.reuters.com/technology/...breakthrough-tech-risky-spacewalk-2024-08-23/

The crew will use an ultrasound device to monitor any bubble formation, one of many tools to be used in the mission to inform dozens of scientific experiments, providing researchers a rare peek into how astronauts might fare on the moon's surface or elsewhere in deep space.

Doppler bubble detection? My bet is they are not using off-the-shelf equipment, does anyone have insights?

 

[broncobowsher]

Pretty sure O'dive has an off the shelf doppler bubble detection system.
They have been out for a few years now.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Probably off-the-shelf ultrasound equipment, it's not hard to train non-medical folks to use it. I wonder how they derived their pre-breathe protocol.

 

[JohnN]

Probably off-the-shelf ultrasound equipment, it's not hard to train non-medical folks to use it. I wonder how they derived their pre-breathe protocol.

Do you have any idea what the pressure is maintained inside the suit?

 

[broncobowsher]

Do you have any idea what the pressure is maintained inside the suit?

Don't know that spec for that exact suit.
But I do recall early suits were running at 0.4 bar internal pressure. That was with a pretty high, if not 100% O2 level.

 

[Johnoly]

My bet is they are not using off-the-shelf equipment,

And since the door will be open to the vacuum of space, off the shelf equipment isn't usually designed for that . I'd love to see their deco schedules, because the space station walks are around 2 hours off gassing from normal capsule pressure of 14.7psi down to 4.3psi suit pressure

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Do you have any idea what the pressure is maintained inside the suit?

Per SpaceX website, 5.1 PSIA.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

And since the door will be open to the vacuum of space, off the shelf equipment isn't usually designed for that . I'd love to see their deco schedules, because the space station walks are around 2 hours off gassing from normal capsule pressure of 14.7psi down to 4.3psi suit pressure

They'll probably test before the hatch opens and the suits go on (hard to do an ultrasound through a space suit!) <edit: I have no firsthand knowledge... they may have developed a way to do it.>
The pre-breathe procedure for the ISS also involves exercise. Not sure if that's part of the plan for SpaceX.

Best regards,
DDM