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Project Is Now Partially Open

A project log for Space Suit - SilSuit Project

A design for a mechanical counterpressure space suit prototype. Open within the limits of US Export Control Law.

spacefelixspacefelix 07/18/2014 at 21:112 Comments

Alright guys, my team and I did research on open-source and export control regulations.  Unfortunately, we have to make this project partially open instead of fully open-source due to US Export Control Laws* as they apply to space suit technology.  However, the project's development still continues.  We'll continue to post the updates that we can.  Thanks for following this project and to you all for your support.

*All the notes on US Export Control Laws:

US Export Control Law covers certain technologies under ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations, wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Traffic_in_Arms_Regulations, web: https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/regulations_laws/itar.html). The exact statement on this is listed in ITAR Part 121, Category X - Protective Personnel Equipment And Shelters, (4) Pressure suits capable of operating at altitudes above 55,000 feet sea level (ref). Our space suit is designed to operate in the vacuum of space and therefore falls under this regime.  We researched if we could continue under the Fundamental Research Exception for ITAR (link: https://research.missouri.edu/compliance/export_controls/exclusions). It will permit the publication of information (but not materials or technology) resulting from that research to foreign nationals and that such publications are not subject to export control restrictions.  
This concludes that we can only allow a partial disclosure of information on this project.

Discussions

spacefelix wrote 09/07/2014 at 05:43 point
Yup! A couple of people I work with are working on the goal of making humanity into a spacefaring civilization with open-source spaceflight. They are Mach 30 and have an Export Control Task Force to develop ways for open-source to negotiate the controls of ITAR and other export controls: http://mach30.org/activites/oshw-community-support/ectf/
Our ultimate hope and goal is to allow open-source spaceflight projects to exist and function with the current and future climate of open-source and export control.

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Sci wrote 07/19/2014 at 00:36 point
ITAR does indeed suck. It's one of those bitter ironies that the dream of humanity reaching into space in peace and harmony is hampered so by the shadow of warfare and beuracracy.
The small silver lining is that while civilian/amateur space programs/projects require longer to get the resource base to operate, multiple groups meeting the same challenges in enforced technical isolation could create a wider variety of solutions to various problems. Solutions that wouldn't otherwise come to maturity. Hopefully we can all meet in space one day and share them, while giving a space-suited finger to ITAR.

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