You may remember NASA asking the public to help the agency decide on what the next spacesuit prototype should look like. It would seem that as well as allowing the astronauts to carry out missions to Mars, NASA wants them to look stylish doing it too.
The winner is the “Technology” suit, achieving over 64% out of the 230,000 votes cast by member of the public. With a grey body and hints of turquoise, the suits also emits light, making the wearer more visible during spacewalks. NASA explains that the design “pays homage to spacesuit achievements of the past while incorporating subtle elements of the future.”
The suit that you see in the photos is by no means the finished product though. It will now undergo intensive tests in environments that are similar to what it will be subject to in space. Made from 3D printed parts and tailored to each individual astronaut by means of human laser scans, the suit is expected to be completed and ready for use by November 2014.
“The cover layer on flight suits used for spacewalks performs many other important functions like protecting the spacewalker from micrometeorite strikes, the extreme temperatures in space and the harmful effects of radiation,” NASA wrote in a press release. “These requirements drive selection of specific high-performance materials and design details that aren’t necessary at this stage in a prototype suit.”
Tell us what suit you voted for and what you think of the “Technology” prototype.
[Images via NASA]
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