As a research center and hi-fidelity habitat analog, we have developed facilities, components, systems, and procedures that provide visiting researchers a platform for good science, and a realistic experience for living in and exploring outside of a surface habitat on the Moon or Mars.
As such, all Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVAs) at SAM are conducted in pressure suits (“space suits”). These functional “personal spaceships” have been tested underwater, in vacuum chambers, and in high altitude experiments. The physical challenges of wearing a pressure suit include limited mobility, grasping and using tools, heat built-up and pooling condensate; dehydration, hunger, and yes, having to eliminate human waste if on a long duration EVA. They provide very real psychological challenges too: being in a small, sealed space; knowing your air is coming through a long umbilical, and audio-only communication with your team who remains inside of SAM.
With our sealed missions, each crew member is given opportunity to leave the SAM pressure vessel through the functional airlock, and while breathing on the umbilical explore the geologically accurate Mars yard and lava tube, and use the Reduced Gravity Simulator.
We are honored to have engaged Dr. Cameron Smith, professor of archaeology and anthropology at Portland State University and founder of Smith Aerospace Garments for the design and fabrication of two fully functional pressure suits for SAM (image at top), used from 2021 through mid 2024.
Since mid 2025 a new generation of suits (below) was designed and fabricated by Kai Nevers, an Industrial Design student specializing in exploration garments. Working with the a pressure suit built by Dr. Smith as a foundation, coupled with an intensive investigation in the rich history of pressure suit designs for the past century, Nevers delivered to SAM a whole new breed of suit designed for solo don/doff, greater flexibility in size and comfort, use of applied shoe or boot, removable gloves through a sealed wrist cuff, and built-in harness for attachment to the SAM Reduced Gravity Simulator.
