Next-Gen Spacesuits

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Posted by samzenpus on Thursday February 2, 2012 @12:23PM from the new-and-improved dept.

ambermichelle writes "Outer space is a hostile environment for humans, characterized by an airless vacuum, thermal extremes, ionizing radiation and speeding micro meteoroids. Less well-known are the dangers posed by long-term exposure to microgravity or zero-g conditions, which over time severely saps the strength of astronauts' muscles and bones. Several researchers are working to develop new spacesuit designs that could help counteract these threats as well as avoid some of the familiar drawbacks of current spacesuit models such as bulk, weight and rigidity."

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Jewelry part of the ensemble? by schwit1 · 2012-02-02 12:37 · Score: 2, Funny

I'm sure her ear rings will be permitted.
Egad! It's the 1950's!!! by mark-t · 2012-02-02 13:01 · Score: 2, Funny

A bubble helmet... I can't believe she's wearing a bubble helmet.

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File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Re:they'll come in handy... by rossdee · 2012-02-02 13:06 · Score: 3, Funny

"Does the new suit recycle urine into drinking water,"
Yeah, that could be very useful for other environments than space, such as when global warming turns the earth into a desert.
"Urine and feces are processed in the thigh pads" - Leit Kynes
Re:they'll come in handy... by EdIII · 2012-02-02 13:13 · Score: 3, Funny

"Urine and feces are processed in the thigh pads" - Leit Kynes
Yeah.... I bought the whole urine deal, but not the feces processing. I have pinched some loafs that I seriously doubt any technology, that is wearable, could process into anything useful.
How the fuck can the suit process corn? Corn chips just magically come out of a pocket?
Re:they'll come in handy... by Fned · 2012-02-02 13:39 · Score: 4, Funny

It's a lot easier if all you ever eat is the stuff that comes out of the thigh pads.
Re:they'll come in handy... by pnot · 2012-02-02 14:58 · Score: 3, Funny

"Urine and feces are processed in the thigh pads" - Leit Kynes
Yeah.... I bought the whole urine deal, but not the feces processing. I have pinched some loafs that I seriously doubt any technology, that is wearable, could process into anything useful.
How the fuck can the suit process corn? Corn chips just magically come out of a pocket?
I always assumed that the "processing" just extracted water, leaving some kind of dessicated shit powder that gets dumped. Far more plausible than reprocessing shit into food, though scarcely comfortable or fragrant. In Dune the smell of a Fremen sietch is described as an assault on the nostrils... I think we can guess why.