National Space Day | Rigging in Space

For National Space Day, we here at Hercules Group of Companies wanted to participate in the fun spirit of the occasion by having a look at some of the ways ropes, cables, restraints, and lifting hardware support space exploration!

Rigging is essential in many different sectors, and space exploration is included on that list. Check out these five applications, spanning specialized spacecraft equipment and ground-based lifting operations. These systems serve different purposes and should not be treated as interchangeable with conventional industrial fall protection.

1. Specially Designed Steel Rope Riser Cables: Orion Spacecraft

NASA's Orion spacecraft is built for deep-space crew missions. Its design includes crew transportation, emergency abort capability, life support, and re-entry systems.

To return safely to Earth, Orion relies on a parachute system equipped with specially designed steel rope riser cables. In 2014, NASA conducted a test flight for the Orion Space Capsule. After making two orbits of Earth, it reentered the atmosphere and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.

2. Cicoil Biomedical Harness: Apollo 11

When Neil Armstrong took his historic first step on the surface of the Moon, he wore a bio-belt fitted with a Cicoil-engineered biomedical harness. This was a biotelemetry wiring system used for physiological monitoring, rather than a load-bearing safety harness or fall-arrest device.

Monitoring astronauts helped medical teams on the ground assess their condition during spaceflight. Here, the word “harness” refers to an electrical assembly, not industrial fall protection.

3. Exercise Countermeasures: International Space Station

The human body goes through a lot when going into space, and long periods in microgravity can affect crew health. NASA uses exercise countermeasures on the International Space Station (ISS) to help combat these effects. Specialized exercise systems can incorporate cables, textiles, and body restraints.

In the photo here, an astronaut uses a specially designed treadmill with a harness that provides restraint during exercise. This is an exercise restraint system, not a conventional industrial fall-arrest system.

4. PBI Fiber Rope Sleep Restraints: Apollo 11

Looking at another example from Apollo 11, sleep restraints were made from 10-foot PBI (polybenzimidazole) fiber rope with plastic ferrules on the ends to prevent fraying. Sleeping bags were secured in the spacecraft using this special rope.

The photo featured here shows one of the ropes flown on the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. These were transferred to the Smithsonian in 1970 as artifacts of space exploration.

5. Crosby Shackles: SpaceX Ground Lifting

SpaceX has gained worldwide attention for a series of historic milestones. In 2010, it returned a spacecraft from low Earth orbit. In 2012, its Dragon spacecraft became the first commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to the International Space Station.

Even a spaceflight company relies on the tried-and-true technology of rigging during ground operations. Crosby wide body shackles were used on a SpaceX Starship lift near Brownsville, Texas, to join sections of the spacecraft together.

This example concerns ground-based assembly and lifting, rather than evidence that these shackles were used in orbit.

Support for Your Next Lifting Project

No matter how out of this world the project, Hercules is here to support you every step of the way.

Hercules is your source for cranes, hoists, wire rope, fall arrest equipment and much, much more. We also provide equipment rentals and perform inspections, repairs, and certifications, at your business or in one of our fully-equipped shops. Need assistance with workplace safety planning? Our experienced consultants help with risk assessment, PPE specification, hazard analysis, fall protection, and incident investigation. Other services include the design and installation of horizontal lifelines, vertical lifelines and anchor points.