You will probably have noticed, the spacesuits of the two astronauts who flew into the Crew Dragon capsule last May are different from the ones we used to see. They were designed in-house by SpaceX to correspond, both aesthetically and functionally , to the experience of the spacecraft that transports astronauts to the ISS.
A 100% homemade design
This is the very first time that SpaceX has said a little more about its new kind of spacesuits . With their futuristic appearance, you would have thought it was just a matter of design. It would appear that this is not the case. While NASA usually uses outside companies to design its spacesuits, SpaceX has decided as usual, to do everything directly in-house.
Chris Trigg is the person responsible for spacesuits and crew equipment at SpaceX. Maria Sundeen also worked on the design of space suits . These two company employees take the floor in the video you’ll see below to showcase the concept, the design process, and how they were produced.
A spacesuit connected to the ship
This spacesuit has so far only been worn by the first two NASA astronauts to have flown in the Crew Dragon capsule: Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley. They will be putting them on again very soon for the return trip , on August 1 if all goes well. This combination was designed with the spaceship in mind.
“Our spacesuit can plug into the seat of the Crew Dragon capsule. It is connected to the ship. There has also been a lot of work on the gloves that ensure the pressurization and protection of the astronauts while offering compatibility with the capsule touch screen, to work with the control surfaces ”.
Chris Trigg
At the end of 2019, NASA also unveiled the new spacesuits to return to the Moon in 2024. They appear to be safer, smarter and much more comfortable. Known as xEMU , this combination is still in the development stage. Among the notable improvements, we find in particular the possibility for astronauts to be able to reach their own torso with their arms or the possibility of lifting a load above their head. Let’s wait and see if SpaceX also offers a suit for the first lunar mission of the 21st century …
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