Boeing unveiled a new spacesuit that will protect some of the first astronauts launching to space from US soil since the Shuttle program ended.
Private company Boeing, along with SpaceX, will send astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew program. Currently, NASA pays Russia for rides to orbit.
The royal-blue suits are 40 percent lighter than any other spacesuit, an the helmet portion is soft, like a hoodie sweatshirt. The hood has a wide visor to provide greater field of vision.
Boeing’s spacecraft, called the Starliner, uses mostly touch-screens to operate. Boeing’s Director of Crew & Missions Systems Chris Ferguson said that’s something designers had to consider when making parts of the suit."Because it’s a glove, it has to work through the stitching of the hand, so there’s a capacitive carry through that enables us to use a touchscreen.”
Ferguson said Reebok helped designed the boots.
Boeing plans to launch an unpiloted test flight next year.