EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) programs for ISS

Matroshka

Prime Contractor DLR - Germany

In the Matroshka project DTM was responsible for design, structural and thermal analysis, manufacturing and integration of structures. Matroskha is a carbon fibre structural container implemented outside the International Space Station, to protect and store delicate active and passive dosimeters and detectors, developed by the scientists of DLR. The purpose of the Matroskha mission is to monitor the level of radiation in the area where the astronauts have to work during the mission on board of ISS. Some of the activities requested to the crew are classified EVA (Extra Vehicular Activities); due to the lack of atmospheric protection, the astronauts could be operating in a very hostile environment, and only tanks to sophisticated instrumentation located inside Matroskha, the level of criticality can be observed and reported to the scientist supporting on ground the space mission.

Besides, Matroskha project requires complex thermal analysis, due to the broad temperature range to which the ISS is subjected. This is caused by the variation of exposition: direct exposition to the sun rays, with consequent high temperature on the outer skin of the ISS structure, cyclically follows the low temperature of part of the orbit spent in the shadow, with ISS hidden by the large solar array, or during Earth eclipse. The European Matroshka dummy was delivered on the ISS on 31.01.2004 and mounted outside during an EVA on 26.02.2004-11-19

Matroshka dummy

Matroshka - Composite structure during vibration tests