this calibration target is part of a group of targets made of spacesuit materials: here a polycarbonate for use in a helmet visor. Scientists observe these materials to see how they react over time to the irradiated Martian atmosphere. Here are three other targets captured yesterday.

@ScottManleyHimself about difficulties to move in a pressured #SpaceSuit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndGmYNvP6Bo

More information on what Polaris Dawn is, for those that are interested, can be found on the Polaris Dawn website here: https://polarisprogram.com/dawn/.

It is worth noting that due to the recent Falcon 9 failure (see https://www.space.com/spacex-falcon-9-failure-nasa-independent-investigation), the exact launch date may be uncertain for the immediate future.

During a large #solar energetic particle event, the #radiation dosage an #astronaut receives inside a #SpaceSuit could exceed 1,000 times the dosage someone on #Earth receives. That would exceed an astronaut’s recommended lifetime limit by 10 times. Once a forecaster detects a #SolarFlare or #CME, the high-energy particles usually arrive to Earth in less than an hour . But astronauts on the #Moon’s surface would need more time than that to seek shelter. https://www.astronomy.com/space-exploration/space-weather-forecasting-needs-an-upgrade-to-protect-future-artemis-astronauts/

This maze is an element of the calibration target for SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals) which also include some spacesuit materials and a slice of a Martian meteorite, check this out!
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia24261-sherlocs-calibration-target-aboard-the-perseverance-mars-rover

December 22, 2023 “NASA and its contractors still face multiple challenges with development”, the #GAO found in a recent audit of the #Artemis mission. As a result, takeoff “is unlikely to occur in 2025.” The GAO’s auditors project a launch date in early 2027.
Various complications can thwart on-time air travel from one city to the next, but that’s nothing compared with moving a crew of people 238,855 miles away to an #inhumane environment.
In August 2021, #NASA’s Office of Inspector General documented #spacesuit development delays https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/12/22/nasa-artemis-moon-delay-gao-report/

#NASA #spacesuit "Orion Crew Survival System" : 2019 "Simulated worst case water landings identified the need for an integrated suit countermeasure to control the #helmet during dynamic loading." https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20200001579

Aug 2023 The #tests are informing engineers’ understanding of what the experience of flying inside the agency’s #Orion #spacecraft will be like on crewed missions to the #Moon beginning with #Artemis II https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/nasa-testing-on-artemis-i-manikin-informs-future-crewed-missions/

Detailed specifications : https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/items/dad70f59-6b75-428a-85cc-beb473253e9a

Picture : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Astronaut_Candidate_Kayla_Barron_(857361340869).jpg

Why should #astronauts use a #SpaceSuit when they may send a #SpaceRobot ?

"The fourth industrial revolution we see in our lifetime, after personal #computers , the #internet , and #ArtificialIntelligence" https://www.autoevolution.com/news/tesla-optimus-gen-2-has-incredible-human-like-gestures-will-soon-thread-a-needle-for-you-226027.html

@SkipHuffman would have to be done by #SpaceRobot with #SBSP (and probably #3dPrinted parts). If #AsteroidMining were already developed, material would also be available. AFAIK the reactor needs a minimum size, so an experiment aboard a #SpaceStation wouldn't be an option. Outside the bots would have the advantage they don't need a #Spacesuit, oxygen or sleep

National Library of #Medicine : In case of #SPE occurrence for Intra-Vehicular Activities (IVA) outside a #RadiationShelter, dose reductions to BFO in the range of 44-57% are demonstrated to be achievable with the #spacesuit designs made only of water elements, or of multi-layer protection elements (with a thin layer of a high density material covering the water filled volume) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29198316/