ARGOS

The Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) is designed to simulate reduced gravity environments, such as Lunar, Martian, or microgravity, using a system similar to an overhead bridge crane. ARGOS uses an inline load cell to continuously offload of a portion of a human or robotic subject’s weight during all dynamic motions, which can include walking, running, and jumping under Lunar or Martian gravities, as well as a wide range of microgravity activities. Using a cable angle sensor, ARGOS actively tracks and follows the subject’s motion in all horizontal directions to maintain a vertical offload force. The facility is capable of supporting surface operation studies, suit and vehicle requirements development, suit and vehicle design evaluation, and crew training with both suited and shirt-sleeved subjects. The ARGOS facility is rapidly reconfigurable and allows for a quick turnaround between different tests and a variety of surface or training analogs.

With the success of the first generation ARGOS, a second generation system is currently being developed to improve dynamics and increase the lifting capability of the system. The facility will continue to support human (shirt-sleeve and suited) and robotic testing and training in simulated reduced gravity environments. The ARGOS concept can also be scaled to larger heights and areas, and future concepts could be designed to offload multiple payloads simultaneously.