Some cool space images:

Whoa, I just won a Mercury space suit, the iconic silver wardrobe of our dreams and the first American astronauts.

Image by jurvetson
Still a bit in speechless awe… more photos below.

Based on the BF Goodrich Mark IV pressure suit developed for the US Navy, this suit was designed to protect the first Mercury astronauts in the event their space capsule suddenly lost air pressure. In that situation, the suit would inflate and provide a portable environment for the astronaut to protect them until the craft could get back to Earth.

Phase 2 Mercury era space suit. Aluminized nylon, approximately 63 inches tall. Detachable hard fiberglass helmet with aluminum helmet sealing ring, hinged polycarbonate visor securing to aluminum flange, lambskin ear cups, plastic communications microphone with part number "Roamwell Corp. 10387", rubber, plastic and metal electrical cable with part number "Deutsch DM 9609-12P", electrical cable helmet connector with part number "REDAR-281-W3, Bethesda, MD", rubber life support hose by R.E. Darling Co., with part number "REDAR 279-W2 CURED12-60". Neck with aluminum helmet sealing ring, two 4½ inch long vertical zippers, webbed nylon straps with metal snaps running from back to front of neck. The sleeves with four break-lines sewn into the shoulders, strap and buckle adjustments running parallel from elbow to wrist, adjustable lacing from shoulder to wrist covered with zip-up stretchable nylon cloth panels. Detachable gloves with aluminum sealing rings, strap and buckle adjustments around wrists and palms, as well as steel retention bars across palms to reduce pressurized ballooning. Upper entry zipper passing across chest, running from left shoulder to lower right waist, lower entry zipper running from right side of crotch, up around back and across hips to right hip, webbed nylon cross-chest strap, NASA Patch to right side of chest. Legs with four break-lines sewn into the knees, breathable mesh panels behind knees, 5 inch vertical zippers at ankles, elastic stirrups. Back with large lace adjustments covered with zip-up stretchable nylon cloth panel.

The first of the United States’ manned flight programs, Project Mercury aimed successfully to place a spacecraft into earth orbit. Fabrication of the Mercury suits was started in 1959, and NASA selected the B.F. Goodrich Company for the task. The Mercury space suit was basically a modified version of the U.S. Navy’s Mark IV high altitude pressure suit, with the most notable modification being an aluminized nylon outer layer to assist thermal control. The suits were very snug fitting, and the Phase 1 suits provided limited mobility while pressurized, especially in terms of bending the arms and legs– in the second Phase of the suit, break-lines were sewn into the shoulders, knees and elbows to alleviate some of the difficulties in movement. "The fabric was made by 3M, and the silver color came from an aluminized powder coating glued to the green nylon fabric used for the exterior layer, prior to suit construction." (Amanda Young, Spacesuits. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Collection. p 30).

NASA’s Space Launch System and American Flag

Image by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
Happy Veterans Day!

For the first time in almost 40 years, a NASA human-rated rocket has completed all steps needed to clear a critical design review (CDR). The agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) is the first vehicle designed to meet the challenges of the journey to Mars and the first exploration class rocket since the Saturn V. The CDR provided a final look at the design and development of the integrated launch vehicle before full-scale fabrication begins.

Also as part of the CDR, the program concluded the core stage of the rocket and Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter will remain orange, the natural color of the insulation that will cover those elements, instead of painted white.

Image Credit: NASA/MSFC

(Artist concept updated Nov 12, 2015)

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