Elon Musk revealed the first official photo of his SpaceX spacesuit on Instagram last week. His followers expect him to reveal more details in the near future.
In the Instagram post, Musk says the suit actually works and is not a mock-up, having been tested with double vacuum pressure. Safety tests and tests aimed at landing at sea are in the pipeline.
Dragon Capsule
The suit itself is very white and space-like, fitting for the 21st century. This was quite a challenge, according to Musk. "It was very difficult to balance the look of the suit and its function," he said.
The SpaceX suits are expected to be worn by astronauts boarding the Dragon Capsule, a SpaceX spacecraft. They are 'pressure suits' and therefore not suitable for spacewalks. They are worn by astronauts during transport in case the pressure in the capsule drops.
SpaceX also aims to have the suits ready for what will potentially be the company's first manned mission (in 2018). They are also expected to be used for SpaceX's missions that fall under NASA's 'Commercial Crew Program'.
Boeing
Earlier this year, Boeing also unveiled a spacesuit. The Starliner spacesuit offers better pressure mobility and is 40 per cent lighter than Boeing's previous suits. The suit consists of layers that keep astronauts cooler. Touchscreen-friendly gloves have been added so astronauts can easily interact with tablets in the capsule. The suit helps protect astronauts during launch and return to Earth. The helmet incorporates a headset, and the suit's hooded soft helmet has a wide polycarbonate visor to give Starliner passengers better peripheral vision during their ride to and from space.
By: Kelly Bakker
Source: SpaceX/Elon Musk Instagram/Boeing
