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If you are traveling on a mission that will change the history of space exploration, you had better dress for the occasion.
That is the premise of SpaceX, the company created by Elon Musk that this Saturday will have a second attempt to carry two NASA astronauts.
On Wednesday the mission had to be suspended minutes before launch due to poor weather conditions. If they succeed on Saturday, it will be the first time that a private company has put humans into orbit.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will be like a taxi hired by NASA to take astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station.
And Hurley and Behnken will be dressed for the occasion?
Film design
Most obviously, SpaceX’s outfit is totally different from the orange ones NASA used during the shuttle era, better known as the “pumpkin suits.”
In the best futuristic and cinematic style, the Hurley and Behnken suits are known as the Starman suits.
And it is no coincidence that they look like something out of a movie.
The Starmans are Jose Fernandez, a well-known costume designer in Hollywood who has created outfits for movies like the Captain America, Wonder Woman and The fantastic 4.
According to Fernandez in an interview with the Bleeb portal, during the design process Musk used to say that “anyone looks better in a tuxedo, no matter their size or shape.”
The suit “makes you look heroic,” says Fernandez in the interview.
At NASA they are already familiar with SpaceX fashion.
“SpaceX likes to look ultra-scientific, like science fiction,” says Steve Payne, director of launch integration for NASA, who is one of the leaders of the Crew Dragon mission, to the BBC World.
“This is how SpaceX works, they like to look good.”
Seat suits
But what is special about Starman suits?
Once Fernandez’s design was ready, SpaceX engineers went to work to turn it into a state-of-the-art functional suit.
Payne notes that while the design is radically different, in essence SpaceX suits fulfill the same function as pumpkins from the past decade.
Starmans are custom-made and so that, in the event of a depressurization, astronauts can breathe until they reach Earth.
The suits also ensure they have enough oxygen and regulate the temperature.
The SpaceX engineers consider the suits to actually be part of the Crew Dragon ship. So they are called “seat suits.”
Through a cable, the suit is connected to the seats to allow communications and the passage of air. The helmets were made with 3D printers and have a built-in microphone. Gloves allow you to operate the ship’s touch screen.
They are also resistant to fire and strong impacts.
The Starmans, however, only serve to be inside the Crew Dragon capsule and cannot be used for spacewalking.
Given the curiosity caused by the suits that this Saturday Hurley and Behnken will put on again, on Wednesday NASA published a tweet in a joking tone clarifying that the Starmans “are not for sale in stores.”
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