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**Buyingtime** · 08-03-2012, 12:23 AM

> How much have space suits changed in the last 40 years? They seem bulky and cumbersome, like no-one has thought to fix what 'ain't broke' , surely there's been some fabric advances that can be utilised to make the whole outfit more wearable.

I'm well known for wanting them to be totally different in design, designed like scuba gear.

Part of the problem is that space agencies insist on the whole body being encased in a cocoon of air, like diving a hundred years ago. This is neither necessary nor desirable for a short space walk.

There have been developments in space suits since the original days. For instance, there was recently a competition open to everyone for the design of a new space glove. The original gloves were awful, more flexibility was needed while retaining (as I said above) a pressure difference of one atmosphere between inside and outside. For more on the gloves see:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/...ands-down.html

... gloves in the competition did not have to have features like the ability to withstand micrometeorite impacts, which the NASA gloves have.

08-03-2012, 12:23 AM	#3
Buyingtime Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 557 Senior Member	> How much have space suits changed in the last 40 years? They seem bulky and cumbersome, like no-one has thought to fix what 'ain't broke' , surely there's been some fabric advances that can be utilised to make the whole outfit more wearable. I'm well known for wanting them to be totally different in design, designed like scuba gear. Part of the problem is that space agencies insist on the whole body being encased in a cocoon of air, like diving a hundred years ago. This is neither necessary nor desirable for a short space walk. There have been developments in space suits since the original days. For instance, there was recently a competition open to everyone for the design of a new space glove. The original gloves were awful, more flexibility was needed while retaining (as I said above) a pressure difference of one atmosphere between inside and outside. For more on the gloves see: http://www.newscientist.com/article/...ands-down.html ... gloves in the competition did not have to have features like the ability to withstand micrometeorite impacts, which the NASA gloves have.
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