NASA is designing the new Z-2 prototype spacesuit, and wants average people to help design it. They are asking the public to vote on the newest suit for astronauts.
Three designs for the Z-2 are under consideration. A vote is underway to select the latest look for astronauts carrying out ground testing. Each has an odd science-fiction feel.
Biomimicry is a design inspired by marine life, with wires that glow blue-green in darkness. The shoulders and other joints are designed with segmented pleats, meant to resemble marine life.
Technology features a neutral-colored background, with yellow electroluminescent wire. A strange blue symbol lights up in shades of blue that resemble "the blue guy" from Tron. The design is meant to highlight user movement.
Trend in Society is the third option for voters. This outer shell is based on what NASA engineers believe sportswear might look like in the not-so distant future.
The Z-1 prototype made significant advances over earlier spacesuit designs. This newest generation will bring the space agency closer to a suit ready for use in trips to space.
Each suit has custom-fit parts, which use the latest technology to assure an ideal fit. Lasers make a 3D model of astronauts. This virtual representation is then used to design segments of the suited, which are manufactured on a 3D printer. The upper torso of the spacesuit can be re-sized to a far greater degree than any previous model.
Testing of the new spacesuit will soon proceed to vacuum tests, mimicking conditions in space. Testing of the suit will also take place at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, an underwater testing facility managed by the space agency. Astronauts will test the suit at facility at the Johnson Space Center designed to mimic the surface of Mars.
Z-series suits are a testing designation NASA uses to designate spacesuit designs still in testing. The outer design chosen by the public will not fly in space.
"The cover layer of a non-flight suit, which is used for ground-based testing, serves as abrasion/snag protection, a cover for technical details, and to a lesser extent, aesthetics. For a flight suit which is actually used for a spacewalk, the cover layer performs many other important functions such as micrometeorite, thermal and radiation protection," NASA wrote on their Web site.
A fully functional version of the Z-2 prototype is planned to be ready in November of this year.
An "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) session is planned with NASA engineers on Wednesday. Members of the public can ask questions of engineers starting at 2:30 EDT on Reddit.
Voting for the Z-2 shell design is open until 15 April.
