|
|
|
|
Author
|
Topic: BioSuit: One giant leap for space fashion
|
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 50516
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 07-17-2007 08:42 AM
   
MIT News
One giant leap for space fashion
MIT team designs sleek, skintight spacesuit  quote:
In the 40 years that humans have been traveling into space, the suits they wear have changed very little. The bulky, gas-pressurized outfits give astronauts a bubble of protection, but their significant mass and the pressure itself severely limit mobility.Dava Newman, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics and engineering systems at MIT, wants to change that. Newman is working on a sleek, advanced suit designed to allow superior mobility when humans eventually reach Mars or return to the moon. Her spandex and nylon BioSuit is not your grandfather's spacesuit -- think more Spiderman, less John Glenn.
Images above: Dava Newman models her Biosuit. Credit: Donna Coveney/MIT |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1387
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
|
posted 07-17-2007 10:40 PM
Gee! it's looks neat! But the little boy in me wants to know how it works. Is there any more info. on it's layers? Has she any ideas for a backpack?
-Lou |
Lunar rock nut
Member Posts: 916
From: Oklahoma city, Oklahoma U.S.A.
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 07-18-2007 07:17 AM
Now this is an interesting article. I can envision this suit as befitting the title of Constellation Astronaut. Appropriate attire of a 21st century Astronaut. To honor the original designers the PauL/SauL Space Suit (PLSS) is taylor fit also. Innovative to say the least. Terry |
Jay Chladek
Member Posts: 2272
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
|
posted 08-13-2007 01:29 AM
It is a novel idea and it makes sense. But, I still see thermal protection with warming and cooling of the body as the next big challenges to overcome. To date, an internal liquid cooling garment is the best system that has been used thus far.I could potentially see something like this in use on Mars, but not necessarily the moon as that environment is pretty much as hostile as space during an EVA. Still, I am glad they are still pressing ahead with their research as they could be on to something here. If they can make this work, then one benefit I can certainly see is the ability to do EVAs with an oxygen nitrogen atmosphere at closer to Earth norm pressure. This would avoid the potential need to pre-breathe pure oxygen to flush nitrogen out as normal suit pressure is only 5 PSI (which could cause the bends to an astronaut who hasn't pre-breathed). |
Apollo Redux
Member Posts: 346
From: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Registered: Sep 2006
|
posted 08-23-2007 08:41 AM
If I were an astronaut, I'd be more interested in protection against micro-meteorites. | |
Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts
Copyright 2023 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.
Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a
|
|
|
 advertisement
|
