{"id":904,"date":"2009-11-04T06:17:08","date_gmt":"2009-11-04T10:17:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=904"},"modified":"2024-09-12T15:25:06","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T19:25:06","slug":"from-the-back-of-the-vault-testing-space-suits-for-nasa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=904","title":{"rendered":"From the Back of the Vault: Testing Space Suits for NASA"},"content":{"rendered":"

The suits used by NASA astronauts in space missions undergo strenuous testing on Earth before they ever make it into outer space.\u00a0 While in space, astronauts conduct experiments, make repairs, and do other types of space-related work wearing one of two types of spacesuits.\u00a0 Intra-Vehicular Activity (IVA) suits are worn for, as the name implies, work inside <\/em>the spaceship.\u00a0 Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) Suits are worn for work outside<\/em> the spaceship.<\/p>\n

EVA suits in particular have much more design-related research and development in them, as astronauts have engaged in a variety of activities in space and encountered many dangers.\u00a0 EVA suits have to protect wearers from space debris, depressurization, and temperature extremes. At the same time, astronauts require the mobility to grasp objects, climb, walk, and bend so as to be able to perform their tasks outside of the ship.<\/p>\n

This video [EVA Suit\/Glove Development Video Conference, April 7, 1986] was given to our department several years ago by an unidentified donor.\u00a0 It is a film of a 1986 teleconference between NASA officials (most likely in Washington, D.C.) and other participants taking part via telephone during a video uplink between what appears to be three different locations.\u00a0 A panel of five participants is in a studio in Washington, while two others take part remotely via telephone connection.\u00a0 As they view films of EVA suit and glove testing spanning several years, they comment on the design merits of the suits and add invaluable historical background information.<\/p>\n

To view a short video segment, click on an image.<\/p>\n

\"EVA<\/a>

EVA suit test ca. 1967. Still image from the film.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"NASA<\/a>

NASA panel, April 7, 1986. Still image from the film.<\/p><\/div>\n

Though the main tone of the meeting in the recording is one of seriousness, as it is a discussion between NASA engineers regarding very expensive life-saving technologies, the video contains a few humorous sections.\u00a0 In a 1968 test a subject performs calisthenics and plays football while wearing an EVA suit.\u00a0 He is assisted by three men in dress shirts, ties, and glasses.\u00a0 As the two telephone participants keep the discussion businesslike, members of the studio group periodically chuckle at the sight of the space-suited man running around a football field with hoses and wires attached to him.\u00a0 One even jokes that Washington’s football team “could use him” after he catches a pass while weighted down by a space suit and tethered to a NASA vehicle parked on the field.<\/p>\n

\"NASA<\/a>

NASA EVA suit tester does toe touches on the gridiron. Still image from the film.<\/p><\/div>\n

As an historical document, the 57-minute film provides rich background in the mechanics and history of testing space suits from the Apollo program in the late 1960s up to the Space Shuttle program in the mid 1970s.\u00a0 It details the types of testing EVA suits and gloves underwent during this period.\u00a0 The scenes portray NASA as a thorough and thoughtful organization in terms of determining the effectiveness of the equipment that went into outer space.\u00a0 The running dialogue between the engineers adds detail, context, and sometimes humor to the original film clips.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A subject dons a “hard suit” during a test. Still image from the film.<\/p><\/div>\n

To Return to Vault217<\/em>, please CLICK\u00a0 HERE<\/a>.
\n<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The suits used by NASA astronauts in space missions undergo strenuous testing on Earth before they ever make it into outer space.\u00a0 While in space, astronauts conduct experiments, make repairs, and do other types of space-related work wearing one of two types of spacesuits.\u00a0 Intra-Vehicular Activity (IVA) suits are worn for, as the name implies, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,5],"tags":[115,113,114,99,116,100],"class_list":["post-904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-miscellaneous","category-scrc-interest","tag-astronaut","tag-eva","tag-extra-vehicular-activity","tag-nasa","tag-space-suit","tag-video"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Ep5i-eA","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9822,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=9822","url_meta":{"origin":904,"position":0},"title":"Looking Over Our Shoulder: The Space Race","author":"Amanda Menjivar","date":"October 19, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"This post is part of a series pertaining to SCRC's current exhibition, Looking Over Our Shoulder: The Cold War in American Culture. 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He collected material from the various projects he worked on, including\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Apollo Configuration Management Manual, Martin Sedlazek NASA Collection, C0293, Box 6, Folder 9, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/C0293_01-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6999,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=6999","url_meta":{"origin":904,"position":2},"title":"Physical Sciences and Mathematics: One Half of Advances in Science!","author":"Bob Vay","date":"November 14, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Advances in Science: Standing on the\u00a0Shoulders of\u00a0Giants\u00a0has two focuses: the natural sciences and the physical sciences and mathematics. 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