NASA has revealed its newest range of
next-generation spacesuits, the Z-2. The Z series of spacesuits is a series of
prototypes that NASA is working its way through, with the eventual goal of
creating a suit that will be used during future space walks, deep space
missions, and planetary EVAs (i.e. walking on Mars). In 2012 it was the Z-1,
which bore more than a passing resemblance to Toy Story‘s Buzz
Lightyear (pictured below) — and now we have three Z-2 designs that are, in a
word, otherworldly.
Working with ILC Dover (famous for working
with NASA on many projects, including the spacesuits used by the Apollo
program) and Philadelphia University, NASA is presenting three Z-2 designs for
consideration. The idea is that we (you and I) will take a look at these suits,
decide which design we like the most, and then vote on which one will be turned
into an actual prototype. You have until April 15 to vote, and the spacesuit
will be fully built by November 2014. The completed Z-2 suit will then be used
to perform lots of testing here on Earth, to inform the creation of yet another
prototype (the Z-3, presumably). It isn’t clear how many prototypes NASA
intends to produce, but there is a plan to test out a Z-series suit on the
International Space Station in 2017 — which, given the turnaround time of these
things, would probably be the Z-3.
The three Z-2 designs are called Biomimcry,
Technology, and Trends in Society (really). The Biomimicry suit draws on the
fact that Earth’s oceans are quite similar to outer space: “Mirroring the
bioluminescent qualities of aquatic creatures found at incredible depths, and the
scaly skin of fish and reptiles found across the globe, this design reflects
the qualities that protect some of Earth’s toughest creatures,” says the NASA
Z-2 website. The electroluminescent wire makes the astronaut visible in
low-light. The Technology suit is basically the same deal, but with a sci-fi
design aesthetic instead. The oddly named Trends in Society suit uses “a bright
color scheme to mimic the appearance of sportswear and the emerging world of
wearable technologies.”
Despite their outwardly different designs,
the suits appear to all have the same exciting set of features. NASA will use
3D laser scanning and 3D printing to customize parts of the Z-2 for each
astronaut. Each Z-2 will also have a different covering layer — so each suit
could have a unique electroluminiscent pattern on the front, for easy
identification. The suits will also support the new suitport/suitdock concept —
a new spin on airlocks, where the suit itself is the airlock (the diagram on
the right explains it much better than my own words). If we ever send humans to
Mars or Titan or some other extraplanetary body, suitports will likely be used.
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