Apollo/Skylab spacesuit: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 01:01, 28 November 2022

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The '''Apollo/Skylab space suit''' is a class of [[space suit]]s used in [[Apollo program|Apollo]] and [[Skylab]] missions. The names for both the Apollo and Skylab space suits were Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU).<ref name="us">{{cite book |title= US Spacesuits |author1=Kenneth S. Thomas |author2=Harold J. McMann |year= 2006 |publisher= Praxis Publishing Ltd. |___location= Chichester, UK |isbn= 0-387-27919-9 | pages = 428–435 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=cdO2-4szcdgC }}</ref> The Apollo EMUs consisted of a Pressure Suit Assembly (PSA) aka "suit" and a [[Primary life support system|Portable Life Support System]] (PLSS) that was more commonly called the "backpack".<ref name="us1">{{cite book |title= US Spacesuits |author1=Kenneth S. Thomas |author2=Harold J. McMann |year= 2006 |publisher= Praxis Publishing Ltd. |___location= Chichester, UK |isbn= 0-387-27919-9 | pages = 428–433 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=cdO2-4szcdgC }}</ref> The A7L was the PSA model used on the Apollo 7 through 14 missions.<ref name="us2">{{cite book |title= US Spacesuits |author1=Kenneth S. Thomas |author2=Harold J. McMann |year= 2006 |publisher= Praxis Publishing Ltd. |___location= Chichester, UK |isbn= 0-387-27919-9 | pages = 428–429 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=cdO2-4szcdgC }}</ref>

The subsequent Apollo 15-17 lunar missions,<ref name="us3">{{cite book |title= US Spacesuits |author1=Kenneth S. Thomas |author2=Harold J. McMann |year= 2006 |publisher= Praxis Publishing Ltd. |___location= Chichester, UK |isbn= 0-387-27919-9 | pages = 430–431 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=cdO2-4szcdgC }}</ref> Skylab,<ref name="us4">{{cite book |title= US Spacesuits |author1=Kenneth S. Thomas |author2=Harold J. McMann |year= 2006 |publisher= Praxis Publishing Ltd. |___location= Chichester, UK |isbn= 0-387-27919-9 | pages = 432–433 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=cdO2-4szcdgC }}</ref> and [[Apollo-SoyuzApollo–Soyuz]] used A7LB pressure suits.<ref name="us5">{{cite book |title= US Spacesuits |author1=Kenneth S. Thomas |author2=Harold J. McMann |year= 2006 |publisher= Praxis Publishing Ltd. |___location= Chichester, UK |isbn= 0-387-27919-9 | pages = 434–435 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=cdO2-4szcdgC }}</ref> Additionally, these pressure suits varied by program usage. For the Skylab EMU, NASA elected to use an umbilical life support system named the Astronaut Life Support Assembly.

== Basic design <!--DO NOT capitalize the word "design" here -- see the Manual of Style---> ==

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=== ASTP Spacesuit ===

[[Image:Astp-KSC-75PC-409HR.2.jpg|thumb|200px|right| The ASTP crew, entering the transfer van]]

For the [[Apollo-SoyuzApollo–Soyuz Test Project]], NASA decided to use the A7LB CMP pressure suit assembly worn on the J-missions with a few changes to save cost and weight since an EVA was not planned during the mission. The changes included a simplified cover layer which was cheaper, lighter and more durable as well as the removal of the pressure relief valve and unused gas connectors. No EVA visor assemblies or EVA gloves were carried on the mission.<ref name="ASTP Press">{{cite web|title=Apollo ASTP Press Kit|url=https://history.nasa.gov/astp/documents/astp%20press%20kit%20(us).pdf|publisher=NASA|access-date=4 March 2014|page=53|date=10 June 1975}}</ref>

The ASTP A7LB suit was the only Apollo suit to use the [[NASA logo|NASA "worm" logo]], which was introduced in 1975 and used extensively by NASA until 1992.