The public has spoken and NASA's poll to decide the cover layer design for their prototype Z-2 spacesuits has finally ended. The winning design will be used to produce the final version of the prototype, which will be tested later this year.
Close to a quarter of a million people participated in the NASA poll and the winning design beat the other two competing designs by a landslide. The poll was created to help the agency choose the final appearance for the outer layer of NASA's next generation spacesuits. The Z-2 is the second of the Z-series prototypes, which the agency hopes to use for the path to Mars initiative. The testing phase of the suit may lead to future designs that could very well see use in an actual manned Mission to the Red Planet in the future.
"After 233,431 total votes were cast, the "Technology" option has won NASA's Z-2 Spacesuit design challenge with just over 63% of the total vote," says NASA. "This design now will be incorporated into the final version of the suit, which is expected to be ready for testing by November 2014."
Compared to the Z-1 series of prototypes, NASA has made considerable improvements and modifications to the Z-2. Unlike the Z-1, which had a soft upper torso section, the Z-2 uses more rigid materials for its upper torso. NASA experts hope that the harder composite materials used in the upper torso of the Z-2will help keep future astronauts safe from external hazards. Durability is seen as a vital component in space suits to be used in hostile environments such as the Martian surface.
Aside from the new upper torso design, NASA experts also made modifications to the suit's hip and shoulder joints. The new joint construction has been specifically designed to improve mobility. Increased mobility means that astronauts can handle a wider variety of tasks outside the comfort of their landing vehicles.
NASA engineers also added new boots, which are said to be closer to the actual boots that will be used in space. In the Z-1, NASA used prototype boots that would never be considered for spaceflight. While the new boots are still a far cry from actual spaceworthy boots, the design specifications are much closer.
While NASA authorities are happy about the outcome of the poll, NASA engineers also say that the Z-2 and the new cover layer design chosen in the poll will never actually leave the planet.
"Because the Z-series is still in the prototype, or non-flight, phase, the design won't be making a trip to space," NASA says. "The cover layer of a non-flight suit still performs an important function in ground-based testing. The cover protects the lower layers and technical details from abrasion and snags during testing. It also serves to provide the suit with an aesthetic appeal."
