1960 – Space Manipulators – General Mills (American)

Donald F. Melton MECHANICAL DIVISION GENERAL MILLS. INC MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA INTRODUCTION Remote-handling systems can be defined as combinations of equipment the primary purpose of which is to move items relative to each other in a controlled environment. The system is includes not only the actuators and structures required for the physical tasks to be performed, …

1967 – Space Work Platform – Bendix Company (American)

SPACE WORK PLATFORM  A self-propelled space work platform for astronauts based aboard a "mother spaceship" has been designed by the Bendix Corporation's Missile Systems division in Mishawaka, Ind.  A full-scale mock-up of the space vehicle, prepared under a $40.000 contract from the Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University, which was responsible for the basic …

1961 – Humpty Dumpty Space Capsule – Douglas Aircraft Company (American)

SANTA MONICA DIVISION DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT COMPANY, INC. SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA NONANTHROPOMORPHIC SPACE SUIT The "Humpty-Dumpty, " a nonanthropomorphic space suit (capsule), consists of an egg-shaped cylinder capable of supporting at least one man who is engaged in assembly, maintenance, or similar-type tasks in outer space (see figure 1). The capsule itself contains an ecological system …

1960 – Project Mercury Converted Capsule – Douglas Aircraft Corp (American)

PROJECT MERCURY CONVERTED CAPSULE A second concept for a nonantropomorphic-type space suit would essentially be constructed from off-the-shelf items. It would be possible to utilize the Project Mercury Space Capsule and re-entry body as a space suit for assembly, maintenance, or similar-type functions. To do this, the major additions to the system would merely be …

1961 – Orbital Space Tug – General Electric (American)

GE Orbital Space Tug MISSILE AND SPACE VEHICLE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA INTRODUCTION The General Electric Company has been active in the manipulator and remote-handling equipment fields for several years. primarily in connection with its nuclear laboratories and test facilities. The application of remote-handling equipment to operations in space and lunar situations is …