THE HISTORY OF SPACESUITS: THE 60-YEAR EVOLUTION OF SPACE SURVIVAL TECH

These miniature spacecraft have allowed us to operate in space for over half a century

- Jonathan O’Callaghan

When the United States and the Soviet Union first decided to venture into the cosmos in the mid-20th century, it was readily apparent that they would need something to protect their explorers from the harshness of space. While pressure suits had been used before on high-altitude jets, no one was quite sure how the human body would cope with weightlessness, and particularly with the vacuum of space if a spacewalk was to be attempted.

One thing that was known for certain, however, was that exposure to space without a spacesuit would be fatal. 20 kilometres (12 miles) above Earth the atmosphere becomes so thin, and the atmospheric pressure is so low, that the water and blood in a human body will start to boil. Above this point, known as the Armstrong limit, some sort of protection is vital. Therefore the idea of a wearable spacecraft designed to protect its occupant from the harshness of space – now known as a spacesuit – was born.

Spacesuits come in a variety of shapes, sizes and uses. In the modern day on the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts wear flight suits for launch and re-entry that are largely designed to protect the occupant in case of a bailout. During a spacewalk they wear a much more sophisticated suit that allows them to operate in space.

While early iterations were bulky and basic, more modern spacesuits make use of computerised technology, cooling systems, movable joints and more to make operations in space more comfortable for astronauts. Future spacesuits, which are now in development for the Artemis program, will allow greater dexterity and movement than ever before, letting astronauts operate on the surface of another body such as the Moon, an asteroid or Mars.