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The Astronaut's New Clothes
Metox writes: "An article posted on www.sciam.com gives a glimpse into the future of space clothing for use in hostile environments, Earth orbit, Mars, etc. Of all the facts in the article, the one I found most interesting is that the current EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) suit is an astonishing 24 years old. However, the article gives a good reason for this. As the EVA suit is used in a microgravity environment, mobility isn't as important, and dexterity can be enhanced by simple changes to the arms and hands. The article highlights the current tests of two new EVA/Mars contenders, the I-Suit and the H-Suit."
What you're talking about is called a "positive pressure" suit. The premise being that if you can apply 15+lbs/sq.ft on someone's body in a consistent fashion, then you don't have to create a bubble around them by using pressurized air. The problem with elastic suits like this was the hands and the joints, which would comically bulge creating unequal areas of lesser pressure and rendering the suit somewhat useless.
Enjoy the karma...
Every new form of media has it's own Requirimento
- Cooling. Spacesuits have a liquid cooling system as one of the innermost layers to keep heat from building up rapidly (and fatally) inside the suit. There is obviously a limit to how small those capillaries can be and still be effective.
- Puncture resistance. The danger of suit integrity being compromised after falling or rubbing against rocks is something to consider. There is also the danger of being struck by a micro-meteorite, although it would be somewhat less likely on Mars than on the Moon.
- Radiation resistance. Outside of the Earth's atmosphere, radiation intensity increases tremendously. Although some materials are better at stopping high-energy particles than others, they are also more dense, which defeats the idea of a skintight suit.
Also, don't forget features such as waste removal which add to suit size, though conceivably storage for that could be integrated into a backpack or other external unit."she says i'm lousy conversation. as if that's supposed to help."
Spacesuits are special clothes that are made in order to protect the bodies of astronauts in the space. Astronauts may keep being alive by wearing spacesuits in the space at all times. Human beings are not able to keep their lives in the space by wearing clothes as those on the earth. For this
reason, astronauts wear specially manufactured spacesuits so that they can endure the vaccuum, radiation, and temperatures.
Mars is a different environment from that of the earth on which we live. It is a space in which there is practically no atmospheric pressure nor significant oxygen, and the extremely hot and cold environments are repeated by the solar energy. Also, astronauts are threatened by the space dust
flying around at a fast speed, various electronic waves, radiation, etc. Therefore, in order for an astronaut to come out of a spaceship and to move around freely, and to urinate.
This post was first marked -1 troll, then mismoderated to offtopic. Clearly the most on topic post in the thread at this moment is the following post.
It regards the main artwork of the story and discusses the problem of LONG TERM space suit usage.
The drawing in the story shows a sight hard to believe, a biological female comfortable on mars.
As you may know, extended stay in a suit in the airforce is miserable for females once the primary diaper padding (for females) is soiled.
catheterizing may help, but self catheterizing is difficult and prone to problems over multiple usage. Even worse, extgended catheterization of female urethra weakens an already very weak structure.
The male urethra has a strong ring of circular bands (including "fundus ring") to prevent not only urine output, but to prevent massive retrograde ejaculation. A backup sphincter of striated, not smooth, muscle assists in male continence as well.
Basically thick viscous ejaculate matter can go only forward, not backward through the sphincter into the bladder.
Females, unfortunately, lack a solid ring and as can be seen in anatomical photo cross sections, possess two bulbous muscular clumps to serve as a partial seal.
That is one reason many females are more incontinent than men, and why many more females urinate while giggling than men.
Elderly men with prostate problems are a different problem.
But without penii, it is aparent that these space suits are miserable eternal wet diapers for females.
This is asuming that females are going to be needed in space for critical work in the first place.
Did the moderator even LOOK at the story before slamming this to -1?
More information regarding the suit is available at the Hamilton Sundstrand site: http://www.hsssi.com/SystemSolutions/protectivesui t.html
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