SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket taking off. Image: SpaceX
Elon Musk has revealed the spacesuit that some of the first astronauts to Mars could travel in, and it certainly looks like it means business.
Elon Musk and SpaceX have every intention of beginning the first colony of humans on Mars. In order to do that, these inaugural crews will need a spacesuit that is durable against the harshest of conditions.
Now, Musk has revealed the first image of this very spacesuit, which looks noticeably sleeker than the ones currently used by space agencies such as NASA and Roscosmos, and more like the equivalent of a business suit for space.
Musk said on Instagram that the suit in the photo is not a mock-up, but the real one it plans to use. He said that during testing, it was exposed to double the pressure needed to survive in the vacuum of space, and passed with flying colours.
Making it look good, as well as strong
However, he admitted that the plan wasn’t just to make the most scientifically useful suit, but one that would also look like it came straight out of the latest science-fiction movie.
“[It] was incredibly hard to balance aesthetics and function,” Musk said. “[It’s] easy to do either separately.”
The photo appears to confirm early images rumoured to be the new SpaceX suit, with the same colour scheme and minimalist design.
Earlier this year, Boeing released photos of its own spacesuit, called Boeing Blue, which went for a look more akin to those worn by astronauts for the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
While appearing bulkier than the SpaceX design, the Boeing Blue is 40pc lighter than NASA’s current suit, offering the astronauts greater pressurised mobility, which not only makes it more comfortable, but also better prepared in the event of an emergency.
