Status: Active
Mission Statement
Because current iteration of gas-pressurized EVA suits impose high metabolic cost, limit joint mobility and dexterity, and contribute to crew discomfort and injury, human exploration programs need a more ergonomic, lower-burden pressure garment. ADAM (Adaptive Dynamic Astronautical Model) will develop and demonstrate a mechanically counter-pressurized EVA system that preserves flight-equivalent life-support safety while substantially improving mobility, endurance, and ease of operations. In addition, it is desirable (but not required) that the system support configuration for multiple gravity and environmental conditions, reduce don/doff time, enable modular upgrades, and integrate non-intrusive crew health monitoring.
Ultimately, EVA engineers, medical operations, and crew will use ADAM’s hardware, data, and procedures. Interfaces, data formats, and training materials must meet the needs of all three groups without specialized equipment, enable rapid test-to-ops iteration, and allow crews to adapt the suit to changing mission tasks with minimal tools and time.
Project Overview
ADAM is a phased proof-of-concept mission that develops the next generation of spacesuits for future extraplanetary space missions. The current phase, Phase I (Form), is devoted to developing the foundational full-body mechanical counterpressure (MCP) structure of the suit. Phase I demonstrates the viability of mechanical counterpressure (MCP) to provide life support to astronauts in both mirco- and partial-gravity environments via fully distributed, controllable tourniquet-like actuation. The suit uses circumferentially-applied, soft-tissue-conforming counterpressure elements, and enables localized adjustment of pressure around joints and high-mobility areas to prevent blood pooling and reduce metabolic cost. ADAM Phase I integrates soft-robotic actuation for localized dynamic counterpressure control, non-invasive distributed pressure sensing arrays to monitor applied MCP in real-time, with integrated senor-actuator testbeds for iterative tuning and validation. The suit is to be designed for both microgravity and partial-gravity operations (e.g., ISS, Gateway, lunar, and Martian environments), targeting a minimum 29.3 kPa (4.3 psi) counterpressure for full physiological support. As a result, the goal of the suit is also to enable an increased range of motion (ROM) compared to traditional gas-pressurized suits as well as optimize respiratory efficiency and minimize cardiovascular strain under MCP.
ADAM Phase I is maintained across 5 core subsystems: Thermal, Materials, and Structures (TMS), Dynamics and Actuation (DYN), Power, Electronics, and Controls (PEC), Human Factors Integration (HFI), and Environmental Systems and Simulation (ENV); integrates via (design reviews, ICDs, test campaigns). Each ADAM subsystem collaborates under the guidance of system engineering principles, with a strong focus on modular suit architecture, human-centered design, and iterative validation cycles. This approach positions ADAM as both a testbed for mechanical counterpressure technologies and a scalable platform for future spacesuit mission architectures.
Through advancing wearable life-support systems and challenging conventional spacesuit paradigms, ADAM empowers its members with the expertise and adaptability required to lead humanity’s next chapter of exploration – from terrestrial testbeds to extraplanetary missions.
Project Conclusion
ADAM is currently active.