While space suits have to be safe, who says that they have to be boring?While many companies are in the process of developing unique "solar wear" for future astronauts, it looks as if Orbital Outfitters is concentrating on creating fashionable spacesuits for the emerging space industry.
(The Future of Things) Jeff Feige, CEO of Orbital Outfitters, said his company will soon reveal a model of a passenger spacesuit as well, adding that space travel reservations are quickly piling up. "Our mission is to provide low-cost, industrial quality spacesuits and related services to companies providing commercial and government space travel" – he said. [...]
The spacesuit's inner layer is made from breathable materials, such as polyurethane, which is capable of preserving the atmospheric pressure level and of extracting sweat from the material underneath it. Details in regards to other fabrics that comprise the IS3C have yet to be disclosed. The most important aspects on which the company's engineers focused were safety and mobility. Feige said they have succeeded in developing a relatively light suit with lower production costs than any NASA spacesuit. He added that the spacesuit has been tested and performed well under higher pressures than those used in NASA's suit tests.
The suit also looks spectacular, although if Orbital Outfitters plans on releasing a similar version to space tourists, they may want to consider creating suits in various colors (to help space tourism companies differentiate from each other).
While this suit is probably not designed to handle the roughness of space itself, its success will help fuel the next generation of spacesuits worn by future colonists.
Update: Added image credits.
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