New astronaut fashion

1988/06/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astronautika

Last February, new NASA astronaut garments were tested. The astronauts will be introduced in a water tank 9 meters deep with their new clothes. It is about simulating spatial conditions.

You will have to choose between two different suits and this can happen at the end of the year. However, many consider that you can decide to combine both designs to get the most appropriate clothing.

Cameras inside the tank will film astronauts' adaptation to work, such as assembly and disassembly of structures. It is about knowing the characteristics of both garments in spatial conditions.

Astronauts will need a more flexible and durable suit in the future than they wear now, because they will spend more time in space.

One of the garments that will be tested -AX-5- is different from all the previous ones. No fabric or soft parts. Made of solid metal (aluminum in this case) A thin layer of aluminum or gold will protect the suit from corrosion and provide good thermal insulation.

In space, depending on the position of the Sun, clothing should withstand temperatures between 200°C and -150°C. In the joints there will be rotating bearings so that the astronaut can move. Between the joints variable rings of different size will be placed so that the same suit can be used by astronauts of different size.

This AX-5 suit will be modular and will consist of 15 main parts. Changing the different components of the garment will increase as they deteriorate. The current wardrobe lasts 50 hours.

The other garment, called Mark-3, seems to be more comfortable. The body will be metallic, but the limbs will be cloth to facilitate movement.

AX-5 designers say that being metal will offer greater protection against micrometeorites.

At the end of the year we will have the answer and know what will be the future fashion of astronauts: only metal or metal and fabric.