Astronauts call it their ‘second skin’—the spacesuit, a portable habitat enabling humanity’s boldest leaps beyond Earth. During spacewalks, it becomes the command center, safeguarding against vacuum’s lethal embrace and cosmic perils.
Threats abound: no atmosphere, radiation bombardment, thermal shocks, high-velocity dust. Countermeasures? Oxygen generation, CO2 purging, precise climate control (keeping core temp steady), hydration systems, and mobility fabrics allowing untethered ops.
Layered genius: outer micrometeoroid shield, inner bladder for pressure, Mylar insulation. Hard torso hubs helmet’s tinted bubble (UV/IR filtered), pliable arms/gloves for EVAs, magnetic boots. Base layer LCVG circulates 1-2 gallons of icy water, banishing heat buildup.
PLSS backpack is the brain: batteries fueling fans/pumps, oxygen for 7+ hours, sublimator ice blocks for cooling, CO2 absorbers. SAFER jetpack ensures no one gets lost in the void. Specialized suits handle launches (Sokol, ACES), while NASA prototypes for Artemis/Mars emphasize lightness, bendability, dust immunity, and gravity-adapted ergonomics for red planet roams.