The only barrier between life and death of an astronaut is his spacesuit. These special suits are designed to withstand extreme changes in temperature and also provide an effective shield against radiation.
In an effort to achieve the above designers make suits that are less mobile and astronauts have to hop like robots when in them.
NASA is now considering building a lunar base by 2020. Their engineers are also concentrated on making spacesuits that are both low-maintenance and high-tech.
Astronaut apparel has evolved over the decades from aluminum foil-looking outfits to bulky, 275-pound white spacesuits that we all must have seen in TV shows. The agency has not finalized the look of the suits but the effort is to keep them light and more mobile.
If we compare the spacesuits of U.S. astronauts and Russian astronauts then we will find that U.S. suits are easier to work in but are so complex that they require more maintenance on the other hand Russians have a one-size-fits-all suits that are used a few times and thrown away. These suits are not as easy to work in as the American suits.
Designers can now make use of high-tech computer designing to test and develop the suits before the hardware gets in. This has made it easier to develop these suits as such technology was not available in the Apollo era.
Designers are also considering ways to reduce the weight of the backpack life support system which weighs around 200-pounds. Designers will now make use of smaller electronics that can reduce the weight of these backpack systems.
NASA plans to award a contract in a year or so to produce the first prototypes by 2010 and certify the suit by 2012 in time for the new spaceship Orion’s maiden voyage by 2014.
Via: MSNBC
