To help expand the bandwidth of the human spaceflight community's partial gravity simulation facilities, Atlas Devices has created COASTER: the Counterweight-Offload Astronaut Suited Test & Evaluation Rig. Engineered with simplicity and safety at its core, COASTER systems leverage COTS truss structures with Atlas's patent pending line routing approaches to yield a low tech, safe, yet highly functional partial gravity simulation system that can enable multiple personnel or objects to be offloaded simultaneously for enhanced-fidelity Human In The Loop (HITL) testing.

Designed for specific compatibility with Atlas's EXploration CONop (EXCON) mockup space suits, COASTER + EXCON together bring a powerful enhanced partial gravity suited environment  capability for human spaceflight organizations looking to quickly and confidently answer big questions that drive vehicle and CONOP design in phases of the design process that are not yet mature enough to warrant testing in higher fidelity facilities, but that would benefit significantly from more flight like HITL testing than shirt sleeves can provide. Additionally, with a max load capacity of 750 lbs, COASTER can work with subjects wearing modern planetary walking suits.

COASTER's built-in sensor systems bring further utility to offloaded HITL operations in the system, offering a telemetry feed through wired or wireless connections that enable operators to map subject locations through the work area in relation to mockups, hardware, tools, terrain, and other relevant inclusions. 

The system's adaptability, with baseline configurations of 1) Single-arm tech demonstrator for organizational validation, 2) Single-arm full COASTER, and 3) Double-arm full COASTER, enable easy modification to adapt a COASTER build to meet customer needs.

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