When astronauts head to the International
Space Station in Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner
capsule next year, it looks like they will do so
in some style: the company has designed
new spacesuits to provide crew members
with improved functionality, comfort and
protection – and they also look pretty snazzy.
Dubbed the ‘Boeing Blue’, the suits are
around 40 per cent lighter than previous
examples and feature a wide polycarbonate
visor for improved peripheral vision, a built-in
communications headset and touchscreen-
friendly gloves. To improve comfort,
the hood-like helmet simply zips on,
overcoming the need for the cumbersome
metal neck ring seen on previous designs.
“It feels good to be walking around in
Boeing Blue,” said Chris Ferguson, director
of Starliner crew and mission systems
at Boeing. “Spacesuits have come in
different sizes, shapes and designs,
and I think this fits the Boeing model,
fits the Boeing vehicle.”
NASA awarded contracts to Boeing and
SpaceX in 2014 to develop commercial
spaceships that could be used to ferry
astronauts to and from the ISS. Boeing
plans to carry out an unpiloted test flight of
a CST-100 in Earth orbit in June next year.
If successful, Boeing will then send a test
pilot and a NASA astronaut for an orbital
test flight in August.FROM LEFT TO
RIGHT: NASA’s
Project Mercury
spacesuit;
Russia’s Strizh
spacesuit;
Shannon Lucid’s
training suit;
the ‘Boeing BlueSPACESUITS
GET STYLISH
PHOTO:
SHUTTERSTOCK X3, BOEING, ALAMY
, 112 3 R F
ILLUSTRATION: RAJA LOCKEY
26 June 2017| SPACEDISCOVERIES