More recently, however – with the focus
switching back towards manned exploration of
other solar bodies – Ross has been instrumental
in the creation of the Z-2 spacesuit designed for
setting foot on the surface of the Moon or Mars. It’s
one of a number of designs under consideration
and it more than surpasses the basic Apollo A7L
spacesuits worn by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil
Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon in 19
“A spacesuit for the lunar surface hasn’t been
designed and tested since the Apollo program
almost 50 years ago,” says Vinita Marwaha Madill
space operations engineer at the European Space
Agency (ESA) and founder of Rocket Women.
“The spacesuit technology developed during the
mid-20th century was originally designed for short-
duration missions to the Moon, with the longest
stay being 75 hours during Apollo 17. The 1960s and
1970s were an incredible era for space exploration,
however, we haven’t actually stepped foot on the
Moon for a long 45 years. So we will need to design
a suit to allow human lunar exploration to proceed.”
Certainly, the Z-2 spacesuit, designed for
maximum astronaut productivity on a planetary
surface, looks promising. Created to allow for easy
exploration, sample collection and manoeuvring,
its use of advanced composites makes it highly
durable and lightweight. Adjustable across the waist
and shoulder it can fit many sizes of crew member,
and because it is entered by a rear port it can dock
outside of a landing craft to make it easy to climb“ Spacesuits are
notoriously bulky,
heavy, immobile
and risky” Ted Southern
into – something astronauts using the EMU can
only dream of.
The Z-2 also considers the need for astronauts
to walk, so special attention has been paid to the
waist and hip joints, as well as a sturdy boot which,
unlike an EMU, was not simply hard-soled. To figure
out the best possible shoe the designers observed
the way astronauts put pressure on their feet at
different gravities. What’s more there has been work
on robotic assistance, using motors in the limbs of
the suit to detect motion and push the suit in the
desired direction.
Not that NASA is moving forward entirely by
itself. Other space agencies around the world
are also involved in the pursuit of the new. The
European Space Agency (ESA), for example, is
working alongside its counterparts in the US, Japan,
Canada and Russia, and everything is on the table.
The hope is that suits can be much more simplistic
than today yet prove far more effective. In that
sense they’d be maintainable far from Earth, which
will be crucial for long-haul human missions.
One of the missions under consideration is the
joint-venture Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway which
will eventually take humankind a thousand-times
farther into the Solar System than the ISS. MadillNASA and the R deral Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS)
ly lead the wayExtravehicular Mobility Unit
Name of space agency/private company:NASA
Notable missions:Space Shuttle missions,
International Space Station
Pros
+Reusable
+14layersofprotection
+ Stood the test of time
+ Mobile life-support system
Cons
Lacks manoeuvring capability
ot many left
eed for greater reliability
e ageing technology7L
l,R ian
curre+
- L
-Ne
-UseOrlan MKS spacesuit
Name of space agency/private company:ROSCOSMOS
Notable missions:International Space Station
Pros
+Enterviarearhatch
+ Automated environmental control
+ Lighter than EMU
+ Built-in computer
Cons
-Toobulkytoreturntoground- Not modular so size restrictions for cosmonauts
- Tanks need to be replaced when empty
Advanced Crew Escape Suit
Name of space agency/private company
Notable missions:Space Shuttle mission
Pros
+ Integrated pressure bladders and
ventilation system
+Pressurehelmetdesignedtoreducegla
+Texturedglovesforgripofcontrols
+Blackleatherbootsthatreduceswelling
Cons
-Cannotbewornduringspacewalks
-Intendedpurelyforthelaunchand
landingofaspaceshuttle- Bright orange – not exactly fashionable
- Does not offer great mobility
y:NASA
sregSokol IVA suit
Name of space agency/private company:
ROSCOSMOS
Notable missions:International Space Station
Pros
+Rescuesuitwornbyastronautsonboardthe
Soyuz spacecraft
+Goodfieldofview
+Quicktoputonthankstozippers
+ Handy central placement of pressure-relief valve
Cons
-Intendedpurelyforuseonboardaspacecraft
-Doesn’twithstandthermalvariations- Not intended to be worn for long durations
-Introducedasfarbackas1973
THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF SPACESUIT
© NASA; Niklitov; Vassili PetrovitchSpacesuit redesign