Head and Torso Unit

The Head and Torso Unit—commonly shortened to "HTU"—is a rigid, matte‑black suit assembly comprising the helmet and torso for vacuum operations. It was first demonstrated to the team at Elkhazg during preparations for a dispersed launch intended to reach the Daban Urnud, with Jesry instructing alongside a contingent of Valers.

Design and Features

• Back‑hinged entry: The upper back opens like a door, allowing the wearer to step into the HTU and seal it closed.
• Segmented limbs: Arms and legs attach below the HTU as stacked, rigid pods joined by airtight bearings, allowing natural bending without complex pressure joints.
• External manipulators: Each forearm ends in a hatch that deploys tools. One side can extend a skeletal, metal "hand" with joints and tendons mechanically linked to an internal glove; the other side presents integrated tools. Hands can retract and stow behind sealed hatches.
• Controls and displays: A chest panel shows a face feed and status readouts; a retractable black screen can cover all lights and displays for low‑visibility work. Inside the arm ends is a tactile keypad for entering alphanumeric data by fingertip. Most functions accept voice commands. When docked to a personal upper stage, arm‑end controls include a trackball and a joystick for fine thruster inputs. Voice cues used in practice include “Reticule scan” (to join a local link) and “Restraint Depressurize” (to release the restraint system after ascent).
• Life support and sanitation: The HTU integrates with a backpack carrying liquid oxygen and hydrogen for a fuel cell and breathing supply. A "sanitary elimination cycle" isolates the pelvic region with inflatable bladders, washes with warm water, and air‑dries; it consumes a small amount of air per use. A bite‑actuated scupper orifice in the face area removes emesis during high‑stress or zero‑gravity operations.
• Structural and comfort features: The suit contacts the body at limited points for thermal management and comfort. A large ring bearing at the waist lets hips and shoulders swivel independently. Air bags can inflate to cushion the body during high‑acceleration phases, then be deflated to free head and torso movement once in free fall.

Integration and Support Equipment

• Upper‑stage docking: The back of the HTU has a triangular array of sockets matching structural lugs on an ultra‑light upper rocket stage, allowing the HTU and stage to function as an integrated unit for ascent and maneuvering.
• Tender unit: A portable service device bakes carbon‑dioxide scrubbers, splits water to refill oxygen and hydrogen canisters (liquefying them), and accepts waste bags for processing. In the present deployment it is powered by a compact source and supports extended operations.
• Control linkage: Training rigs map suit fingertip controls to thrusters on the personal upper stages. The suit’s built‑in syndevs overlay attitude and orbit readouts in the faceplate.
• Communications: HTU comms can form or join a nearby Reticule for short‑range coordination and, when a relay is positioned with line of sight to the surface, bridge to the wider Reticulum. Long‑range transmitters are generally reserved for emergencies.

Origin and Development

• Archived design: According to the instructor, the HTU design dates to the era of the Big Nugget and was completed centuries ago; detailed plans were archived at Saunt Rab’s. During the Third Sack, fraas and suurs preserved these plans by hand.
• Revival: After the visitors’ arrival in orbit, a round of vocational efforts and major funding revived the program and produced a limited number of new suits.

Current Use

• Availability and training: Sixteen HTUs are available. A team is training intensively at Elkhazg for launch in individually mounted upper stages with the aim of reaching the Daban Urnud. The design explicitly avoids the cramped, glove‑limited approach seen on the Warden of Heaven, favoring robust mechanical manipulation and independent operation.
• Operational notes: In active use, crews ascend strapped into protective packaging and foam, then free their upper bodies by deflating the restraint system. Suits join a local reticule for close‑formation work, using arm‑end controls for maneuvering when docked to personal stages. Life‑support and sanitation provisions—including the scupper—are proven in zero‑gravity assembly and rendezvous tasks.