NASA has gone a touch sartorial as it asks the public to vote on the design of its new prototype Z-2 spacesuit. Part of the Advanced Suit development program to come up with a replacement for the 22-year old suit designs currently used on the International Space Station, the Z-2 not only includes a number of technical innovations, but also a design that for the first time has an eye on the aesthetics of living and working in outer space.
In 2012, NASA showed off its Z-1 spacesuit prototype. The first new spacesuit developed by NASA in 20 years, it was named one of Time magazine's Best Inventions of that year. Its purpose wasnt just to replace an aging system, but to introduce a number of new ideas to make spacesuits a bit more efficient.
Spacesuits are anything but an inflatable set of coveralls and, with the exception of Sandra Bullock, they can't be put on or taken off in a few seconds. If anything, theyre less like long johns and more like mixed-gas deep diving rigs that require a lot of training and about an hour to put on after a long, boring period of breathing pure oxygen to avoid a nasty case of the bends. The Z-1 was designed to make spacewalks a bit easier.
The Z-1 prototype (Image: NASA)
Among a number of innovations, the Z-1 included a rear-entry hatch similar to those found on Russian spacesuits, but had the added advantage of allowing the suit to dock directly with a spacecraft. This not only made the suit easier to get in and out of, but because the spacecraft and suit were of the same pressure, there wasnt the need for a lengthy pre-breathing period. Then, of course, there was the aesthetic element that the Z-1 resembled Buzz Lightyears wardrobe, which caught the publics imagination.
The Z-2 prototype is the next step in the new spacesuit's evolution. Unlike the Z-1, which was made of soft fabrics and was more of a concept in many ways than a functioning system, the Z-2 will be the first spacesuit designed specifically for working on a planet surface to be tested in full vacuum. Tailored using 3D laser scans and incorporating 3D-printed components, its also the first rear-entry suit to use a hard upper torso, which makes it easier to wear, more durable, more impact resistant, and configurable to astronauts of different sizes. In addition, the joints have been redesigned based on tests of the Z-1 to make them more mobile, yet compatible with working in a hard vacuum.
According to NASA, the Z-2 will undergo a battery of extensive tests of its mobility, ability to work in a vacuum, comfort, with neutral buoyancy tests in a pool to simulate zero gravity and working on a simulated Martian landscape at the Johnson Space Center in Texas.
Another first for the Z-2 is that its not only being designed for looks as well as function, but the public is invited to vote on the design. The competing designs were produced in collaboration with ILC, the primary suit vendor, and Philadelphia University, and are for the outer shell of the suit, which protects it against chafing and snagging, as well as incorporating luminous elements to make it easy to see and identify in the dark. The space agency says that the three versions are aimed at showing off some aspects of the suits mobility.
Taking its cues from deep sea life, biomimicry has segmented pleats at the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee, and electroluminescent wire across the upper torso, which lights up as the ambient light dims like some sort of outer space jellyfish. The texture even has a scaly look like fish skin.
Technology, as the name implies, looks back to more conventional spacesuits, but with some sci-fi elements added, such as Luminex wire and light-emitting patches for crew identification. The Technology design has exposed rotating bearings, collapsing pleats for mobility and highlighted movement, and abrasion-resistant panels on the lower torso.
Link:
NASA asks public to vote on Z-2 spacesuit design
- 2D Laser Profiling Scanner for Detecting Targets [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- NASA Energy Concept Could Harness the Power of Ocean Waves [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Data Acquisition Modules [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Dr. Scott Barthelmy, Research Scientist, Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Laser Tracker Ensures Accurate Alignment of Ares I Components [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Dual Cryogenic Capacitive Density Sensor [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Advanced Technologies Will Help Hubble Yield More Remarkable Discoveries [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Dr. Gerard Holzmann, Senior Research Scientist at the Laboratory for Reliable Software, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- NASA Research Will Help Aircraft Avoid Ocean Storms and Turbulence [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- NASA Awards 2008 Software of the Year [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Here Come The Tricorders - Update [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- China's View on Space [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Milsat Coordination and Tracking Issues [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Trash Talking and End Runs at NASA HQ [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Ares 1-Y is Toast [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Beyond Augustine [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Analyzing LCROSS' Plume [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Live Event: NASA-Sponsored Power Beaming Challenge [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- JSC Wants To Build a Replicator [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- USA: Looking For Ways To Hang On [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Lunar Lander Challenge Prizes Awarded [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Senate Votes To Restore NASA Budget Cuts [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- New FAA Regs for Commercial Reentry [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- TEDxNASA: An Invitation-Only NASA Meeting - Unless You Are Lucky [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Close Call For Courtney Stadd [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Space: A Waste? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Making NASA Cool [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Engaging JSC’s Next Gen: A Leadership Analysis [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Dumpster Diving for Rockets [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- TEDx NASA [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Reflections On a Business Trip in Huntsville [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Staying the Course [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- The Economics of Space [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Ideas at Work [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Blah Blah Blah - Why We Should Care About Social Media [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Will White House Speak Soon About NASA? [Last Updated On: December 12th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2009]
- Software Aids Design of Ares V Composite Shroud Structure [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- ASDX Series of silicon pressure sensors [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Industry Update: Analysis & Simulation Software [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Battery Will Provide Backup Power for Space Shuttles [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- NASA Employee Claims To Have Witnessed Hijacking Planning [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Big Party in The Mojave Tonight [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Looking at Boulders on the Moon [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- SpaceBook Featured by White House [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- New Ways to Use Constellation Stuff [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- LaRC internal Poll Update [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Coalition for Space Exploration Does a (Much Needed) Reboot [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Lunar Orbiter: Comparing Old and New Images [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Boulder Trails On The Moon [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Vote for John Grunsfeld - National Geographic Adventurer of the YeAR [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Charlie Bolden at WIA/AIAA [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Live Webcast From The Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Big Aerospace Warns of Job Cut Impact [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- The Boulders of Copernicus [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- shame on us [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- 2009 Space Elevator Games [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Random Hacks of Kindness [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- TEDx NASA Tickets Available to the Public [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- It’s better in person [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Leading Amidst the Disruptive Innovation Storm [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Space: What’s NOT to Hope for? [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Government in the Digital Age [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- SpaceUp – A Space Unconference [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Starfleet Academy? [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Crowdsourcing NASA [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Bringing Home The Bacon [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2009]
- Anti-Space Mom with Pro-Space Kids [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2009]
- How Quickly We Forget [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2009]
- WISE Launch A Success [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2009]
- Dynetics Buys Orion Propulsion [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2009]
- New NASA Governance Structure Under Development [Last Updated On: December 16th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 16th, 2009]
- Bolden Meets With Obama on Wednesday [Last Updated On: December 16th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 16th, 2009]
- MSFC Procurement Doesn't Understand what "Open Source" Means [Last Updated On: December 16th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 16th, 2009]
- Bolden Meets With Obama [Last Updated On: December 17th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 17th, 2009]
- Parker Griffith AT MSFC Today [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2009]
- Why Your NASA Computer May Not Work Properly [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2009]
- Lakes and Fog on Titan [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2009]
- Waterworld Found [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2009]
- Pandora Could Exist [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2009]
- Laurie Leshin Is The New ESMD Deputy AA [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2009]