NASA Goes "Bling"-Astronauts Get Sleek New Space Suits

Back in the sixties our astronauts had to roam outer space in aluminum like “soup cans”. In their defense, designers back then had to rely on slide rules and drafting tables. "There's a lot more capable tools and technology to get the job done…so we can capitalize on them," said Joe Kosmo, who participated in the design, development and testing of suits from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and shuttle eras. While our current puff marshmallow suits are better than tin cans, they’re still quite bulky, limited and weigh over 270 lbs.

The Russians (not the world’s best recyclers) currently prefer one-size-fits-all throwaway suits. You can only use them for a few short space jaunts before they’re trash. The current U.S. suits are easier to work in for long periods of time and are more flexible. However, their complexity requires a lot more maintenance.

"Finding the right balance is always going to be a challenge," said veteran astronaut Jeff Williams, who has donned both the complex American suit and the spare Russian suit. "It's trade-offs."

According to NASA to the new “haute couture” of space fashion is at once both high-tech and low-maintenance. NASA also wants to make the new spacesuit multi-purpose for launch, at the space station and on the moon and Mars, instead of having to use several different types of suits for each phase. Some of the other must-have features of a spacesuit are the ability to withstand extreme hot and cold temperatures, to shield radiation, and function on very low power because the spacesuit's oxygen-rich atmosphere can quickly turn a spark into a fire. All this, and the new suit will still be roughly half the weight of its predecessor.

Terry Hill, who is developing the new spacesuit can’t say exactly how much these new suits will cost because a production contract has yet to be awarded but, "Nothing's cheap," he says”. (Obviously we don’t buy hot dogs at the same gas station.)

NASA plans to award a contract in a year or so, produce the first prototypes by 2010 and certify the suit by 2012 in time for the new spaceship Orion's maiden voyage by 2014. Posted by Rebecca Sato.

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Comments

[Juan Tuffgai]

Finally the women in space will start looking like they do in my sexy sci-fi fantasies! This is the best thing I've heard from NASA since Tang! and I do love Tang!

[treechickee]

If fashion is in the future for NASA, maybe they will be able to recruit more women. Not because they can look hot, but the current weight of suits must preclude many capable women.

[Juan Tuffgai]

Yeah and maybe then the women will have enough self-esteem so they wont put on a diaper and drive across the country when they get dumped....then again they are chicks.

[replica jewelry]

Its interesting. I would like to know more about this…I really wanted to know how this works can you please help me out…….Thanks for sharing.

[jonathan]

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

This is a great article on space suits. The technology on the suits is amazing. I went down to the Smithsonian with my family and looked at some of them although I think some are replicas.

I went down to the National Air and Space Musuem, MRC 311 and met with Amanda Young to look at the real spacesuits and ask questions.

I found this site that http://www.spacetoys.com/categories/Space-Suits/ that carries replica space suits and I bought one to display in my home. Very cool