Overview of International Space Station Extravehicular Activity System

Abstract

The International Space Station (ISS) relies heavily on Extravehicular Activity (EVA) for assembly and maintenance. The ISS EVA System provides the translation aids, tools and support hardware to allow the crew to assemble and maintain the US portion of the ISS. The EVA System supports the three primary phases of an EVA: translation of crew and hardware to the worksite, worksite setup and restraint and conducting the actual EVA task. The primary hardware items in the EVA System and the uses of the hardware are described. Other hardware items crucial to EVA but not part of the EVA system are also discussed. In addition, a brief overview of the Russian ISS EVA capability is provided along with plans for interoperability between US and Russian EVA.