MIT Researchers Take Space Suit to Next Level
`”A space suit is almost a spacecraft in itself – it provides life support, pressurization, thermal control, micrometeorite protection and other functions necessary to keep the astronaut alive,” says Liang Sim, a researcher in the MVL. “Current spacesuits pressurize the body using the breathing gas inside the suit, which limits mobility, complicates functions such as temperature control and moisture removal, and carries the risk of a catastrophic failure in the event of puncture.”
The suit being developed by MIT and Midé, by contrast, would use a skin-tight weave of controllable materials to maintain surface pressure. Additional layers could then be added to perform other functions such as radiation protections and temperature control. This could provide more mobility and comfort, increase safety, and lower cost.’
