National Post (National Edition)
STYLISH SPACEX SPACESUITS CREATED BY HOLLYWOOD DESIGNER
The stylish “Starman” spacesuits worn by the history-making astronauts on board the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket were designed by Elon Musk and top Hollywood costume designer Jose Fernandez.
Fernandez, whom Musk hired in 2016 from a shortlist of six, also designed the famed black-and-gold helmets worn by Daft Punk for the 2014 Grammys, the costumes for Wolverine, Iron Man and many more superhero franchises. He admitted, though, that at first he didn’t know what SpaceX was, and thought it was yet another movie.
Their concept suit was reverse engineered at SpaceX. The first iteration Fernandez submitted was an allblack suit, but the spacesuit engineers changed the heat-absorbing all-black outfit into an all-white one that could reflect the bright sunlight.
The suits protecting Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken en route to the International Space Station were meant to look a bit like a tuxedo — with silver piping outlining epaulets and tux bibs — while being functional, lightweight and offering protection from potential depressurization.
The helmet is custom manufactured using 3D printing technology and includes integrated valves, mechanisms for visor retraction and locking, and microphones within the helmet’s structure, NASA says. The helmets weigh nine pounds and are of a piece with the suit itself.
The gloves were touchscreen-sensitive.
A single connection point on the right thigh offers oxygen and power connections.