Umbilical mechanism assembly for the international space station

Mechanisms for engaging and disengaging electrical and fluid line connectors are required to be operated repeatedly in hazardous or remote locations on space station, nuclear reactors, toxic chemical and undersea environments. Such mechanisms may require shields to protect the mating faces of the connectors when connectors are not engaged and move these shields out of the way during connector engagement. It is desirable to provide a force-transmitting structure to react the force required to engage or disengage the connectors. It is also desirable that the mechanism for moving the connectors and shields is reliable, simple, and the structure as lightweight as possible. With these basic requirements, an Umbilical Mechanism Assembly (UMA) was originally designed for the Space Station Freedom and now being utilized for the International Space Station.