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Earth seen from orbit

Recumbent Crew Couch (RCC)

The Recumbent Crew Couch (RCC) is designed to replace standard "seating" for the crew in a high-g reentry vehicle like the X-38 type Crew Return Vehicle (CRV).


The RCC design is intended to support the crucial ergonomic segments of the body and prevent damage to spine and/or soft organs during a high-speed entry profile. It meets the requirements of snugness for crew members of the entire size range from the 5th percentile Japanese female to the 95th percentile American male because it is comprised of four attachment parts that slide along a pair of indexed rails.


Each crew member can memorize their own indices for head, shoulders, hips and feet and adjust any RCC so that they are safely restrained during entry without the need for bulky, personalized seat liners such as are used in the Russian Soyuz capsules.


This design also permits integrators to make the most of the available habitable volume in the spacecraft because each of the four body components is removable from the rails, permitting the crew to access equipment or storage space located beneath the seats.

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