Portable Life Support System

A Primary (or Portable or Personal) Life Support System (or Subsystem) (PLSS), is a device connected to an astronaut or cosmonaut's spacesuit, which allows extra-vehicular activity with maximum freedom, independent of a spacecraft's life support system. The PLSS is generally worn like a backpack. The functions performed by the PLSS include:

The air handling function of a PLSS is similar to that of a diving rebreather, in that exhaled gases are recycled into the breathing gas in a closed loop.

When used in a microgravity environment, a separate propulsion system is generally needed for safety and control, since there is no physical connection to a spacecraft.

The Portable Life Support System used in the Apollo lunar landing missions used lithium hydroxide to remove the carbon dioxide from the breathing air, and circulated water in an open loop through a Liquid Cooled Garment, expelling the water into space, where it turned to ice crystals. Some of the water was also used to remove excess heat from the astronaut's breathing air, and collected for dumping into the spacecraft's wastewater tank after an EVA. The PLSS also contained a radio transceiver and antenna for communications, which were relayed through the spacecraft's communication system to Earth. PLSS controls were provided in the Remote Control Unit (RCU) mounted on the astronaut's chest. Oxygen and water were rechargeable for multiple EVA's from the spacraft's environmental control system.

Lunar surface EVA times for the first four missions (Apollo 11 through 14) were limited to 4 hours, with oxygen stored at 1,020 pounds per square inch (7.0 MPa), 3.0 pounds (1.4 kg) of lithium hydroxide, 8.5 pounds (3.9 liters) of cooling water, and a 279 watt-hour battery. For the extended missions of Apollo 15 through 17, the EVA stay time was doubled to 8 hours by increasing oxygen to 1,430 pounds per square inch (9.9 MPa), lithium hydroxide to 3.12 pounds (1.42 kg), cooling water to 11.5 pounds (5.2 liters), and battery capacity to 390 watt-hours.

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