The Tourist's Space Suit

THE ROAD TO SPACE TOURISM

1935
Aviator Wiley Post sets altitude record of 50,000 feet. He wears the first practical pressurized suit, similar to a deep-sea diving suit, made of cloth lined with rubber.

1965
For the Gemini program, David Clark coats a rubber and neoprene bladder with nylon mesh and a fire-resistant outer layer. An internal cable-and-pulley system helps astronauts move their limbs when the suit is pressurized.

1983
Shuttle astronauts use suits with detachable arm and leg units that accommodate various body types.

2005
Dava Newman proves the feasibility of Bio-Suit fabrication by creating a prototype Kevlar sleeve that properly pressurizes one leg.

2020
Tourists visiting the new, orbiting SkyHotel don their Bio-Suits, the same getup used for NASA's human exploration mission to Mars.