In the four decades humans have been traveling into space, the suits have remained bulky, weighing in at about 300 lbs. They’re so clunky that about three-quarters of the energy astronauts exert on space walks goes towards trying to make the suit bend. But MIT researchers are designing a stretchy, skintight BioSuit that’s custom-fit for the individual astronaut. (Think Spider-Man instead of John Glenn.) As David Butcher of ThomasNet reports:
For the last seven years, MIT engineers have been designing a new, slimmer spacesuit that features full range of motion for the astronaut — one small step for space fashion, one giant leap for space travel.
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Related:
Photos of the prototype are here and here.
Boston Globe story: It’s one small step for fashion, one giant leap for spacesuits
Sunday Times (of London) story: Space chic: to the catwalk and beyond!
