Robert W. Mellette
Symbolically, the space suit epitomizes space flight. When we see a picture of a human or “‘alien”’ space being, we expect to see him or her appropriately dressed. The early Mercury astronauts dressed the part. They wore silver metallic suits, gloves, boots and fishbowl helmets. They dressed not for style, however, but for safety. The astronauts’ space suit was in effect a “‘personal backup spacecraft”’ that they wore. It was their extra protection from the hostile, airless environment of space. In an emergency this spacesuit would supply oxygen to breathe, provide an envelope of atmospheric pressure and reflect the unfiltered rays of the harsh sun. Comfort and mobility was limited and waste management limited to a urine collection device.
Today, astronauts need only wear space suits during extravehicular activities. At all other times, they wear attractive cobalt blue flight suits, consisting of soft cotton pants, a navy blue cotton knit short-sleeved shirt and a lined zipper jacket. These items come in standard sizes and are selected “‘off the rack”’ at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. All clothing, except underwear, is the same for both sexes. As a safety feature, the cotton material used to manufacture the flight suit is treated with a chemical soak to make it fireproof.
Flight suits are designed to fit loosely for comfort, without being so loose that they might accidently catch on a critical switch or control. Expansion pleats are built into the back and shoulders of the jacket and the waist size can be changed with Velcro straps. These built in adjustments are necessary because astronauts gain between two and five centimeters in height in the weightlessness of space. The apparent absence of gravity in space allows the cartilage disk between the vertebrae in the spine to expand increasing height.
The jackets and pants contain over a dozen pockets in which specific items are stored. These pockets contain such items as pressurized ball-point pens, a flashlight, data books, sunglasses, a pocket knife and surgical scissors. Velcro strips or zippers keep these small items from floating out of the pockets while in space.
Shuttle astronauts must wear special protective clothing during the liftoff and re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. A pair of antigravity trousers are worn over the underwear during atmosphere entry. These pants have bladders inside the fabric that inflate creating pressure on the lower part of the astronaut’s body. This pressure counteracts the tendency of blood to pool in the lower extremities, averting grayout, or even a blackout during this critical part of spaceflight. Astronauts also wear special communications headgear and protective helmets. This headgear provides communications and is hooked to a separate supply of air for emergency conditions.
