Boeing, which is currently developing the Starliner spacecraft that will launch NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, unveiled the new space suit that the spacecraft's passengers will wear. The suit is not intended for spacewalks, but only for protecting the astronauts in emergencies. With a rather elegant design, the new suit will be more flexible, comfortable and lighter than its equivalent suit during the space shuttle era.
Boeing Unveiled On Wednesday, the new spacesuit she designed for the astronauts who will fly on the spaceship she is currently developing for NASA. The spacecraft, known as the Starliner CST-100, is being developed as part of NASA's "Commercial Crew Program," which is designed to restore to the United States the ability to launch astronauts independently to the International Space Station. This capability has since been lost to the United States Grounding the space shuttles in 2011, and since then it has been relying on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to reach the International Space Station. SpaceX is also participating in NASA's program, and is developing a manned version of the Dragon cargo spacecraft.
Similar to the space suit used by the space shuttle pilots (Advanced Crew Escape Suit – ACES), the new suit will not be used for spacewalks, but will protect the astronauts while in the spaceship in emergency cases, such as a case of loss of atmospheric pressure in the protected environment inside the spaceship. For spacewalks, the astronauts will use the special, larger suits found on the International Space Station, which actually function as an independent spacecraft for everything.
The new suit weighs 9 kg, compared to 13.5 kg of the space shuttle suits. The suit is made of advanced materials in the joint area, which give it greater flexibility. It also includes zippered connections that make it easier for the astronauts to move from sitting to standing. The suit's unique fabric will cool the astronauts by allowing water vapor to evaporate from the suit while keeping the air inside.
The suit also includes a rather elegant design and is referred to by Boeing as "Boeing Blue". The helmet of the suit will be attached to it with a zipper, and not locked to it like the metal connection that was in the suits of the space shuttles. Touch screen sensitive gloves will help astronauts use the spacecraft's computer screen and tablet system.
Despite all the technological innovations and fashionable design, it must be remembered that the purpose of the suit at the end of the day is to keep the astronauts alive in the harsh conditions of space. "The most important thing is that the suit keeps you alive," said astronaut Eric Bo, one of four NASA astronauts Has chosen For the commercial missions of Boeing and SpaceX. "It is lighter, more appropriate and simpler, something that is a good thing. Complicated systems can break down more easily, so simplicity is a better thing for something like this," Bo added.
"The suit serves as an emergency backup to the spacecraft's life support system," said Richard Watson, spacesuit subsystem manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. "If all goes well, then you don't need the spacesuit. It's like having a fire extinguisher in the cockpit. You need it to be effective if it is required."
Boeing unveiled the new suit at the company's new facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it is building its new Starliner spacecraft. The same facility, by the way, was used in the space shuttle era as a hangar where the shuttles were handled between missions. Former NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson, who now serves as Boeing's Mission Systems and Crew Manager, modeled the new suit next to a model of the spacecraft and commented on the technological difficulties in developing the new spacecraft: "We have worked hard on several engineering challenges and now we are reaching a point where the challenges are mostly behind us, and it is time to reach the moment of truth".
In 2014, SpaceX and Boeing won a competition held by NASA to determine the companies that would receive funding for the development of the new spacecraft. The two spacecraft, both SpaceX's Dragon and Boeing's Starliner, were planned to carry out their first manned mission this year. However, due to budgetary and engineering problems, the schedule of the two spacecraft was recently postponed, and now Starliner is expected to launch astronauts for the first time in the second part of 2018. One of the problems discovered caused Boeing last year make changes In the connected configuration of the spacecraft with its launcher, Atlas 5, in order to maintain aerodynamic stability during the launch.
The new suit that Boeing unveiled yesterday is another step towards realizing the project. "For me, this is a tangible sign that we are really moving forward and that we are much closer than before," Ferguson said. Referring to the demonstration he did for the new suit, Ferguson added that "the next time we do all this, it might be when astronauts climb into the real spaceship."
SpaceX is also developing its own space suit for the Dragon spacecraft. Although she has not revealed the design yet, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, said that he placed an emphasis on a particularly fashionable and elegant design. SpaceX's suit was designed by costume designer Jose Fernandez, founder of Studio Ironhead, who designed costumes for Hollywood films such as "The Amazing Spider-Man," "Thor" and "Batman v. Superman." In an interview with the Blip website last year Fernandez He said Because Musk insisted that the suit be stylish, and only after he finished the design did SpaceX make it practical for flight by reverse engineering.
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When adding one kilogram to a space still costs many thousands of dollars, surely the weight of the suit has meaning. In addition to this, the weight of the suit may indicate to a large extent the awkwardness of it and of those who operate it.
The weight of the suit has no relevance in space