Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue

Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER) is a small, self-contained, propulsive backpack system (jet pack) worn during spacewalks, to be used in case of emergency only. If an untethered astronaut were to lose physical contact with the vessel, it would provide free-flying mobility to return to it. It is worn on spacewalks outside the International Space Station (ISS), and was worn on spacewalks outside the Space Shuttle. So far, there has not been an emergency in which it was needed. SAFER is a small, simplified version of the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), which was used for regular maneuvering.

SAFER is designed to be used as a self-rescue device if in spite of precautions such as tethers, safety grips, and the robot arm an EVA crewmember gets separated and no vehicles can provide rescue capability. SAFER is worn by every ISS crewmember using an Extravehicular Mobility Unit. SAFER was co invented by former astronaut Joseph Kerwin, Paul Cottingham and Ted Christian under a Lockheed contract to NASA for Space Station Freedom. It was later sponsored by the Space Shuttle Program and developed by Lockheed and NASA personnel. Ralph Anderson was the Shuttle Program Office's Project Manager for the SAFER Development Test Objective (DTO). Cliff Hess was the NASA Project Engineer. The device was developed by the Robotics Division (with its Lockheed staff) of NASA at the Johnson Space Center. The SAFER was the design solution to the Shuttle Program's requirement to provide a means of self rescue should an EVA crewmember become untethered during an EVA.

SAFER was first flown on STS-64 September 9, 1994, where an untethered flight test was performed first by astronaut Mark Lee and then Carl Meade. Both astronauts flew the SAFER up and around the Shuttle's Robotic Arm along with a demonstration test of the SAFER's automatic attitude hold feature. This feature arrests uncontrolled rotation of a detached crewmember expected in an accidental separation. SAFER has a mass of approximately 83 lb (38 kg) and can provide a total change in velocity (delta-v) of at least 10 ft/s (3 m/s). It was also tested during flight STS-92 when astronauts Wisoff and Lopez-Alegria performed test maneuvers, flying up to 50 feet while remaining tethered to the spacecraft.

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