Highest fashion ever: Spacesuit makeover

Spacewalk meets catwalk? For the first time in more than 40 years, a new company will produce redesigned space suits for the next phase of the American program.

By JOHN SCHWARTZ, New York Times

Last update: June 21, 2008 - 5:13 PM

When Neil Armstrong's boot touched the lunar surface, he was wearing Hamilton Standard gear. But when astronauts go back to the moon, they will be changing their wardrobe -- and their tailor, too.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced this month that for the first time in more than 40 years, a new company would produce spacesuits for the next phase of the American space program.

The suits are, as NASA likes to point out, complex spacecraft all their own, small ships that provide a livable environment in the harsh conditions of space.

It is a big moment for the space agency, which does not take fashion shifts lightly.

"We haven't developed a new EVA suit in many years -- since the 1970s," said Doug Cook, the deputy associate administrator of the next-generation space program, using the abbreviation for Extra-Vehicular Activity, NASA's phrase for spacewalking.

The surprise in the announcement was that Hamilton -- now Hamilton Sundstrand, a division of United Technologies in Windsor Locks, Conn. -- lost the contract to Oceaneering International Inc., a Houston company best known for its offshore oil and gas industry equipment. The contract could be worth up to $745 million.

Astronauts currently have two suits: so-called pressure suits worn during launching and landing, and the bulkier suits for spacewalks.

The new contract calls for a modular approach, and the suits for launching and entry and those for stepping out onto the lunar surface must share components, including the helmet, lower arms, legs and boots. The extravehicular suits will be designed not just for the weightless conditions of space, but also for walking on the moon.

The current suits "were built for a completely different set of problems to solve," said Glenn Lutz, the manager of the space suit project, in a briefing for reporters.

Astronauts who have performed spacewalks often say they expend a great deal of their effort "fighting the suit." The new suits will have to be lighter than today's 350-pound behemoths and provide greater flexibility in the legs.

"We're ready to put them to work and to put bootprints back on the moon," Lutz said. He added, however, "We've got a long way to go to get there."

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