How SpaceX sleek spacesuit differs from the space shuttle era in terms of astronaut fashion
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 | Chimniii Desk
A new breed of starship necessitates the development of new spacesuits.
American astronauts are slated to go to orbit on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on May 27 for the first time since the space shuttle era a decade ago, marking NASA's first commercial crew flight and the first time astronauts have launched from American soil in in a decade.
Long-time space watchers will notice one difference in Crew-1 astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley's snazzy spacesuits: these aren't the orange "pumpkin" flight suits astronauts used to wear during the launch phase of NASA-managed shuttle flights.
During a dress rehearsal at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 17, 2020, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley, dressed in SpaceX spacesuits, walk through the Crew Access Arm linking the launch tower to the SpaceX Crew Dragon ship.
The SpaceX spacesuits are a sleek, one-piece white design that is far less bulky than the huge space shuttle launch suits, also known as the Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES). The new SpaceX spacesuit design was so tiny that after its unveiling in 2018, the company's creator Elon Musk had to reassure worried Instagram followers: "It is undeniably effective. It'll be alright if you put it in a vacuum chamber with it."
The astronauts on the first crewed test mission of SpaceX's Crew Dragon have also noted distinctions between the SpaceX suit and other spacesuits they've worn in previous years.
"This [SpaceX] suit is dramatically different than the suit we wore on shuttle," Hurley, a veteran of space shuttle flights STS-129 and STS-135, stated during a preflight press briefing on May 1 without going into much detail. He mentioned significant changes from the Russian Sokol spacesuit, but noted that he "never actually went through the complete suit-up process" because the Sokol was only used as a backup if something went wrong during his brief journey to the International Space Station (ISS).
Despite the fact that the SpaceX suit is newer, it will be subjected to the same pre-flight inspections as the pumpkin suit and the Sokol suit. "It's similar in that they check the suits for leaks, the comm system, and basically make sure everything is in working order before you head out to the pad," Hurley explained.
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Two of these SpaceX spacesuits were then utilised by people after proving their worth in space. One was used on the dummy Ripley that went aboard the uncrewed SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-1 test flight to the ISS in 2019, while another was used on the Tesla-driving dummy that launched on a Falcon Heavy rocket in 2018.
It's possible that the spacesuit was designed for a movie set because the suit's designer is Jose Fernandez, a legendary Hollywood costume designer who has worked on blockbusters like "Wonder Woman," "Wolverine," "Batman vs. Superman," and "Captain America: Civil War."
"What we're doing on the SpaceX side... is to reach back and pull forward, maybe a retro styling or a different way of creating their own unique kind of mission symbol or symbology rather than trying to copy what was done on the space shuttle side," said Behnken, a veteran of space shuttle flights STS-123 and STS-130, in a pre-flight video interview on NASA's YouTube channel on May 4.
Behnken went on to say that the pumpkin suit was an iconic element of space shuttle flights, and he believes the SpaceX spacesuit will follow suit soon. "I believe both [the costumes] have succeeded in becoming iconic in terms of symbolising the goal ahead of us, as well as the enthusiasm associated with what we're going to do."
On the training side, Behnken said in a separate preflight video interview on May 2 that the SpaceX spacesuit has "a high enough fidelity, from a training perspective, that we can — both Doug and I — can sit in a capsule, put on suits, and go through a situation or a scenario where the suits are going to inflate."
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NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken don SpaceX spacesuits during a dress rehearsal for the company's uncrewed In-Flight Abort Test on Jan. 17, 2020, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (NASA/Kim Shiflett)
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According to Behnken, astronauts need to see this type of training in order to prepare for the rigours of spaceflight. "From the standpoint of an operator, getting that level of fidelity of training gear, rather than PowerPoints and virtual presentations of it [the suit], is critical. That's a great victory. We are grateful to the SpaceX team for stepping up to the plate."
Some aspects of SpaceX's spacesuits have been kept secret, but the company has stressed that the suits are supposed to work in tandem with the big computer panels that astronauts will use to monitor Dragon systems and navigate to the International Space Station. According to NASA, each astronaut's outfit is constructed to order.
NASA stated that SpaceX's spacesuit is "intended to be functional, lightweight, and provide protection against potential depressurization." The suit's depressurization defence would be similar to the ACES suit, which possessed an emergency breathing system and the ability to fully pressurise if the cabin lost oxygen unexpectedly.
"Life support systems, including air and power connections, are attached to a single connection point on the suit's thigh," according to the agency. "The helmet is custom-made utilising 3D printing technology, with integrated valves, visor retraction and locking mechanisms, and microphones built into the construction."
However, don't bet on SpaceX's suit for spacewalks. Astronauts will continue to use the shuttle-era Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) for the foreseeable future, which is designed to perform for 8-10 hours in a full vacuum while providing radiation shielding for microgravity activities.
For NASA's next Artemis mission, which intends to land men on the moon by 2024, the agency is developing more advanced spacesuits optimised for the lunar surface. If everything goes according to plan, the agency will test the lunar spacesuits aboard the International Space Station in 2023.
The suits used by SpaceX are also different from those used by astronauts on Boeing's Starliner, the other Commercial Crew vehicle. Tests are currently underway to prepare the vehicle for human flights, and astronauts on board will wear a blue spacesuit with capabilities like touchscreen-sensitive gloves and more.
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