Designing the ultimate spacesuit
Discover the fashionable future of spacesuits and how they keep astronauts alive
Since its debut more than 50 years ago, the spacesuit has evolved alongside our space exploration ambitions. More than just functional fashion, the concept of a spacesuit is essentially to act as a personal spaceship for a human passenger.
Different suits are worn during different stages of a mission. Intravehicular activity (IVA) suits, like the Russian Sokol, are worn during launch and re-entry to protect astronauts in the event of an emergency, such as sudden cabin depressurisation during launch. NASA used a similar design – the Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES), also known as the ‘pumpkin suit’ due to its bright orange fabric – for many of its Space Shuttle missions.
Boeing have been developing a new IVA suit for their future Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 Starliner spacecraft, designed in collaboration with NASA to ferry astronauts to the ISS and other low-earth orbit destinations. The striking blue Boeing Ascent/entry Suit (AES) is an improved version of the ACES, offering greater mobility and reduced weight. One of the most notable features of the suit is an incorporated headgear. Rather than the typical detachable helmet, the Starliner’s resembles more of a pressurised hood with an airtight zip.
Boeing aren’t the only private company entering the spacesuit race. Spacex is developing a suit for the first manned mission of their Crew Dragon capsule, due to take place in the next few years. Spacex CEO Elon Musk has maintained a sense of mystery around the suit’s technology and finer details, but judging by a picture released in 2017 the suit appears to have improved mobility and a more streamlined design compared to current IVAS.
The second all-important spacesuit for an astronaut venturing outside their vessel is the extravehicular activity (EVA) suit, which provides vital protection against the extremes of outer space. The first spacewalk was performed on 18 March 1965 by cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, who wore the Berkut suit – a combined IVA and EVA suit. Leonov was uniquely qualified to offer feedback on the suit when he returned, helping to improve designs for future missions. In June of the same year Ed White became the first American to perform a spacewalk in the Gemini G4C suit. It was connected to a long tether to keep White attached to the spacecraft. He also had a
Hand-held Maneuvering Unit (HHMU), an oxygen jet gun, which he could use to propel himself and move around.
During his spacewalk, White was connected to the life-support system of the Gemini spacecraft via a 7.6-metre-long ‘umbilical cord’. However, this setup limited the distance an astronaut could travel during an EVA. Subsequent spacesuit designs (such as the
Apollo A7L suits used in the lunar landings) included a backpack-style life-support system to make the suits more portable. These new and improved suits provided essential oxygen, carbon dioxide removal and internal temperature control while also giving astronauts more freedom of movement. These lifesustaining accessories are just one of the many aspects that spacesuit designers must consider when creating the perfect suit.
The colour of an EVA suit is also more important that you might think. Due to the absence of an atmosphere, in the direct path of sunlight temperatures can reach 120 degrees Celsius or more, whereas in the shade it can drop to below -150. Protecting astronauts from frying or freezing is where the colour comes in. Spacesuits are white because this colour is the most effective at reflecting heat.
Another important purpose of an EVA suit is to protect the astronaut inside from the lack of pressure in open space. The standard for any suit is to recreate one-third of Earth’s atmospheric pressure, which is enough to maintain bodily functions, such as the inflation of lungs and blood flow. This is typically achieved by pumping gas into the suit to generate an artificial atmosphere, a concept that is also applied to suits designed for other extreme-pressure environments such as at high altitudes or in the depths of the ocean.
“New and improved spacesuits gave astronauts more freedom of movement”
Gas-pressurised suits are currently the norm for space exploration, but that’s not to say the design can’t be improved. The Biosuit, developed by MIT professor Dava Newman, is a form-fitting design that does away with the need for pressurising gases altogether. The biggest downfall for many EVA spacesuits is that they restrict astronauts’ movements. However, Newman’s Biosuit acts like a second skin, shrink-wrapping around the body by activating the nickel-titanium shape-memory alloys woven into its fabric. As the coils of the alloys are tightened, the suit generates the pressure needed to keep an astronaut alive via mechanical pressure applied directly to the skin rather than atmospheric pressure. Should the suit become suitable for planetary exploration, this would enable crew members to move around with much more freedom.
The Biosuit is just one of many future suits currently in development. NASA’S aim to send humans to the Red Planet during the 2030s has inspired a new generation of spacesuits. In 2014, NASA revealed their designs for their futuristic Z-2, which is being developed as a durable planetary EVA suit – a successor to the current EMU and Z-1 prototype. Some of the new additions include electroluminescent wiring and improved walking boots. The latter have not been required since astronauts last visited the lunar surface in 1972.
Whether it’s the sleek style of the Spacex design, the Biosuit, or the futuristic fashion of the Z-2, whichever suit future astronauts wear as they step onto the surface of Mars will represent another giant technological leap for humankind.