Comments on: Martian Spacesuit Proposed (hmmmm…)

By: The Iliad

The Iliad — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 02:34:46 +0000

The link below will take you to additional pictures of the spacesuit. Once there, open image gallery on the right.
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/biosuit-0716.html

By: Greg

Greg — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 01:26:03 +0000

Hmmm.…first thing I thought when I saw this was “I can see why that picture was chosen.” Nice shot, but it would be interesting to see it from the front too if its that form fitting of an outfit. Anyways, it seems like a good idea, but probably got a long ways to go. It seems to only deal with the pressure issue and not much else. I mean with temperatures on mars down to –110F at surface level (-255F @ the poles) you’re going to need a good layer of insulation too, as well as some shielding from the radiation as Rivenburg states. This outfit seems it’ll just act as a nice pair of long underwear, not the main suit.

By: Rivenburg

Rivenburg — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:54:38 +0000

MMM MMM, Brains & beauty all in one suit!
Be a real plus going to Mars with a gal like that on the team. Unless of course there weren’t enough to go around. wonder what the radiation shielding on the suit is? Mars is HOT radiation wise. No atmospheric shielding OR magnetic field.

By: Edward Liu

Edward Liu — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:59:45 +0000

C asks: “maybe it’s inappropriate, but as this is designed by a woman, was there any mind paid to how the suit will fit the male anatomy?
Obviously they have, and the conclusion they drew is that space will need to be colonized by women in skintight space suits. Turns out Erin Gray in Buck Rogers was more prescient than any of us thought.
Tough price to pay, but I’m not going stand in the way of scientific progress. No sir.

By: MSgt Mad Dog

MSgt Mad Dog — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:26:13 +0000

Is it only me or does this sound like an over priced, fancied up version of pressure suit our high performance fighter pilots currently wear only including a layer of air tight material?

By: Sven

Sven — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 02:01:36 +0000

Love the motorcycle back protector. I have one right here..

By: TrustButVerify

TrustButVerify — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:29:26 +0000

I wonder if she’s read Kim Stanley Robinson’s *Red Mars*? The mechanical pressure system seems to be a pretty durn close fit for what Robinson had his first crew of colonists wearing.
Whether or not this is the case, it’s still a big improvement on the Stay-Puft look. I’m impressed, Prof!

By: C

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:28:35 +0000

maybe it’s inappropriate, but as this is designed by a woman, was there any mind paid to how the suit will fit the male anatomy?

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:49:11 +0000

Gee, where I have see this idea before? Maybe 25 years ago from Jerry Pournelle?

By: The Cenobyte

The Cenobyte — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:45:56 +0000

I hope you don’t gain or loose any mass while out there or your presure suit will no longer fit. Or does it make up for small changes?
I also have to wonder how well this works on the parts of the body that are not easy to conform to. I mean I don’t know about you but I don’t think I was just my crotch to be missing the pressure it needs.