Bridging the gap between style and functionality, SpaceX has revealed the spacesuits astronauts will wear on their first private spacewalk in 2024. In a new video, the company details the future features of the spacesuit that will be tested in space on the Polaris Dawn mission.
Most of what we know about the world comes from pop culture, but sometimes pop culture can also lead us astray. Spacesuits are an example of this. If we take movies and TV series as a guide, it's easy to believe that a spacesuit is a bulky overalls with a goldfish bowl as a helmet, just as easy to put on and use as scuba gear for shallow diving.
In fact, spacesuits are highly complex engineering projects with a wide variety of types, often as difficult to access and operate as deep-sea mixed-gas submersible devices. This is because a spacesuit is essentially a humanoid spaceship, and many of its functions, including thrusters, are the same.
Some may ask why SpaceX is introducing a new spacesuit when it already has a spacesuit for the Crew Dragon spacecraft? Is it just to give it a new look? Not really.
The equipment currently used is an in-cabin activity suit (IVA). It's a fancy way of saying "emergency suit". Its function is to protect passengers in the event of loss of pressure in the cabin. If this happens, the helmet visor will be closed, the suit will switch to the emergency life support system, and the wearer will be able to survive until the capsule returns to Earth.
The problem is that spacesuits can only do this. Once pressurized, it transforms into a humanoid balloon that the wearer can only move with difficulty. The fabric isn't very durable either, the helmet mask can't withstand direct sunlight, and the entire spacesuit isn't really designed to protect the wearer outside the capsule.
Jared Isaacman, CEO of Shift4 Payments on behalf of SpaceX, plans to conduct the first private spacewalk later this year as part of the Polaris Dawn mission. The spacesuit, known as the extravehicular activity (EVA) suit, can be seen as an upgraded version of the U.S. spacesuit used for Apollo, Spacelab, Space Shuttle, and International Space Station missions.
It is designed to have greater mobility when pressurized, less prone to tearing and abrasions, keeping the wearer at a comfortable temperature, and preventing damage from micrometeorites, which can get the job done while wearing, not just providing emergency protection.
According to SpaceX, the new EVA spacesuit is based on the current Type IVA and is planned to replace the Type IVA for some time. It retains the same lines and slim fit, which is an advantage when traversing narrow capsules or with hatches, and there is no need to modify the astronaut sofa, and the spacesuit is retractable, so it can be tailored to a variety of body types.
The EVA spacesuit features new materials, new manufacturing processes, and new swivel joints for greater maneuverability when pressurized and better comfort when deflated. Seals, zippers and valves are designed with a high degree of redundancy in the event of a failure.
In addition, the 3D-printed helmet has a new copper and indium tin oxide-coated mask that can cope with the sun's glare. The helmet is also equipped with a head-up display and camera that provides real-time information on the pressure, temperature, and relative humidity of the spacesuit. In addition, new thermal management textiles and flame retardant materials were borrowed from the intermediate stage of the Falcon rocket and the torso of the Dragon spacecraft.
The EVA suit will make its first flight in a few months on the Polaris Dawn mission. The Dragon Cabin has been modified so that the front hatch can be opened in space and can now be safely depressurized and repressurized.
The two-hour spacewalk, which will take place at an altitude of 435 miles (700 kilometers), will include two of the four crew members of Polaris Dawn and will focus on testing the safety and practicality of the spacesuit, as well as special structures equipped with hand-held devices and interfaces to assist in exiting and re-entering the capsule.