[2015] Madeline Ford: Space Suits

Space SuitsA space suit is an enclosed garment that astronauts wear in space, and it helps them survive. It helps them survive in space because it provides radiation to keep wam and it is specially made to withhold the pressure in space. The early space suits used for the Mercury mission are still used. The astronauts keep them in the space craft incase the cabin pressure is too much and they have to change into the other suit.

The InventionSpace suits were invented in Houston Texas, at N.A.S.A space centre in 1959. The first space suits cost two million dollars, to ten million dollars. Now Space suits cost up to twelve million dollars. The first space suits were 35-40 pounds, but now space suits are more than 300 pounds. Some parts of the space suits are made by the company ILC, but N.A.S.A tailors them.

Problems it has had

In July 2013, an astronaut named Terry Virts had a water leak in his helmet. He was on a space walk and he felt wetness on the back of his head and later realized that there was a water blockage and the water had to go through another route and went through the airway. When the water was near the oxygen pipe, the carbon dioxide sensor stopped working and he started to feel the water. The astronaut got into the space craft in time to fix the water leak, before he drowned.

Alternative uses

Space suits are used for training underwater like scuba diving gear. Astronauts go underwater for seven hours when training in a pool that has a replica of the I.S.S, and the astronauts go under there to train before going up to space.

Space SuitsBy: Madeline

The different parts of a space suit

How the space suit works

Chris Hadfield describing the space suit

www.spacekids.co.uk

Advanced crew escape space suits

The first space suits (Mercury mission)