JSC2001-E-35507 (September 2001) --- Spacesuits that are custom sized for each astronaut are a thing of the past. Since the Space Shuttle began flying, NASA has assembled spacewalk spacesuits out of piece parts, and have recently upgraded that system to make re-sizing even easier. This image shows two spacesuit lower legs and boots. On the right, the old system for sizing the spacesuit is shown. The white fabric segment between the two broken white-black lines is a sizing ring. This ring was routinely changed out by ground technicians depending on the length of the astronaut's leg. A sample fabric sizing ring is shown to the right of that boot. The leg on the left shows the improved system, which uses interlocking aluminum rings which are changed out for the same purpose. Astronauts can now make these changes easily while in space, as opposed to the former approach, which was more time consuming and was limited to ground operations between flights. A sample aluminum sizing ring leans up against the right of the boot.
JSC2001-E-40463 (January 2001) --- A head and torso shot of a full-sized Robonaut--a humanoid robot designed by the Robot Systems Technology Branch at NASA's Johnson Space Center in a collaborative effort with DARPA. The Robonaut project seeks to develop and demonstrate a robotic system that can function as an EVA astronaut equivalent. Robonaut jumps generations ahead by eliminating the robotic scars (e.g., special robotic grapples and targets) and specialized robotic tools of traditional on-orbit robotics. However, it still keeps the human operator in the control loop through its telepresence control system. Robonaut is designed to be used for "EVA" tasks, i.e., those which were not specifically designed for robots. EDITOR'S NOTE: Robonaut A, pictured here, was recently joined by a newer version, called Robonaut B, in hand-in-hand testing at the Johnson Space Center with human beings to evaluate the ability of the human beings and robots to perform certain types of extravehicular tasks.
JSC2003-00263 (June 2003) --- This is Robonaut B, the newer of two NASA robots used in recent hand-in-hand testing at the Johnson Space Center with human beings to evaluate their shared ability to perform certain types of extravehicular activity.
JSC2003-00300 (June 2003) --- Two Robonauts work hand-in-hand with astronaut Nancy J. Currie, partially visible at right edge of frame, during an evaluation at the Johnson Space Center to determine the capabilities of human beings and robots to perform certain extravehicular tasks.
JSC2003-E-42601 (June 2003) --- Astronaut Nancy J. Currie, wearing a training version of an advanced concept space suit, shakes hands with a Robonaut prior to participating in a test at the Johnson Space Center to evaluate hand-in-hand work with robots. The second of the two Robonauts used in the demonstration's task -- the assembly of an aluminum truss structure--is out of frame.