This page contains information on general types of pressure suits.
This blue pressure suit was designed for use in the Air Force's Manned
Orbiting Laboratory. This suit was designed in 1963, but its purpose was
never fulfilled. The MOL never made it off of the drawing board, and the
project was terminated. The suit is unique in that the entrance zipper
is in the front, and it zips upward to close. The zipper slide is fastened
at the top with a latch that also serves to secure the helmet. This suit
could be equipped with a thermal meteroid oversuit and used as a spacesuit.
The MOL project was scrapped in 1969, but quite a few of these training
prototypes are still around.
I'm not sure
of the name of these older suits either, but they are obviously very early,
and it seems they are both related. I think the one on the left at least
is called the AX-2 (I'm fairly certain that it was the AX-something. Either
that or AH. If you have any info, I'd appreciate it.) They were clearly
very direct descendents of drysuits, with simple rubber bodies, very little
in the way of movable joints, and simple, airtight helmets and construction.
What an exciting experience it must have been to test these early, unknown
suits in actual flight. I'd have done it.
This suit is the SR-71 pressure suit. It was designed by the David Clark
Company in the late 1970s for use on America's super-spy plane, the SR-71
blackbird. However, the suit was also used on the U-2 jet, and the first
three Space Shuttle missions. This suit had a rear zipper entry, like the
Apollo suits, but the helmet was solidly padded, and it had two pull-down
visors: one to seal the suit and make it airtight and another to protect
against the glare of the sun. In this picture, only the pressure visor
is down. The suit had a single oxygen inlet connector on the pilot's left
torso, and a pressure regulator valve on the right torso. A suit technician
is adjusting the pressure valve in this picture. The boots of the suit
were seperate, and fitted over the "pressure socks" which were part of
the suit. The suit had pockets on the chest, legs and arms, and it also
had attachments for a parachute harness. The communication connector was
attached directly to the helmet, and the helmet also had the pressure vent
valve, to vent used oxygen out of the suit. Oxygen was not recycled, as
in other suits. The suit also had Velcro™ pads on the arms and knees for
attaching checklist boards and other items. This suit, or slightly modified
versions of it, are still in common use today.
This page deals with pressure suits used by pilots in NASA's high speed
test plane, the X-15.
These two pressure
suits were the first two suits designed for use with the X-15. The one
on the left is newer. Both were one-piece garments that had a pressure-sealing
zipper in the front for entry. They were also alumized to reflect the considerable
heat generated during flight of the X-15. The helmets were padded to prevent
injury in the case of a crash. Both had provisions for parachute attachments.
The helmets had two pull-down visors: one clear one to make the suit airtight,
and a polarized visor to protect the pilot's eyes against the bright sunlight
above the clouds. The oxygen inlet was on the pilot's lower left side,
and the exhaust outlet was an open, automatic relief valve on the helmet.
This
orange suit was designed for use in the late 70s and early 80s for various
functions. It was used as an escape suit for the shuttle, as well as a
number of other hight altitude projects. It was orange so that it would
be easier to find the pilot if he crashed or had to eject. The pilot entered
the suit through a zipper in the rear, and the suit had an oxygen inlet
on the left side of the pilot's waist. The oxygen outlet was an automatic
relief valve on the helmet. The helmet also had double visors, like the
two suits above.
This blue pressure suit was designed for use in the Air Force's Manned
Orbiting Laboratory. This suit was designed in 1963, but its purpose was
never fulfilled. The MOL never made it off of the drawing board, and the
project was terminated. The suit is unique in that the entrance zipper
is in the front, and it zips upward to close. The zipper slide is fastened
at the top with a latch that also serves to secure the helmet. This suit
could be equipped with a thermal meteroid oversuit and used as a spacesuit.
The MOL project was scrapped in 1969, but quite a few of these training
prototypes are still around.
I'm not sure
of the name of these older suits either, but they are obviously very early,
and it seems they are both related. I think the one on the left at least
is called the AX-2 (I'm fairly certain that it was the AX-something. Either
that or AH. If you have any info, I'd appreciate it.) They were clearly
very direct descendents of drysuits, with simple rubber bodies, very little
in the way of movable joints, and simple, airtight helmets and construction.
What an exciting experience it must have been to test these early, unknown
suits in actual flight. I'd have done it.
This suit is the SR-71 pressure suit. It was designed by the David Clark
Company in the late 1970s for use on America's super-spy plane, the SR-71
blackbird. However, the suit was also used on the U-2 jet, and the first
three Space Shuttle missions. This suit had a rear zipper entry, like the
Apollo suits, but the helmet was solidly padded, and it had two pull-down
visors: one to seal the suit and make it airtight and another to protect
against the glare of the sun. In this picture, only the pressure visor
is down. The suit had a single oxygen inlet connector on the pilot's left
torso, and a pressure regulator valve on the right torso. A suit technician
is adjusting the pressure valve in this picture. The boots of the suit
were seperate, and fitted over the "pressure socks" which were part of
the suit. The suit had pockets on the chest, legs and arms, and it also
had attachments for a parachute harness. The communication connector was
attached directly to the helmet, and the helmet also had the pressure vent
valve, to vent used oxygen out of the suit. Oxygen was not recycled, as
in other suits. The suit also had Velcro™ pads on the arms and knees for
attaching checklist boards and other items. This suit, or slightly modified
versions of it, are still in common use today.
These two pressure
suits were the first two suits designed for use with the X-15. The one
on the left is newer. Both were one-piece garments that had a pressure-sealing
zipper in the front for entry. They were also alumized to reflect the considerable
heat generated during flight of the X-15. The helmets were padded to prevent
injury in the case of a crash. Both had provisions for parachute attachments.
The helmets had two pull-down visors: one clear one to make the suit airtight,
and a polarized visor to protect the pilot's eyes against the bright sunlight
above the clouds. The oxygen inlet was on the pilot's lower left side,
and the exhaust outlet was an open, automatic relief valve on the helmet.
This
orange suit was designed for use in the late 70s and early 80s for various
functions. It was used as an escape suit for the shuttle, as well as a
number of other hight altitude projects. It was orange so that it would
be easier to find the pilot if he crashed or had to eject. The pilot entered
the suit through a zipper in the rear, and the suit had an oxygen inlet
on the left side of the pilot's waist. The oxygen outlet was an automatic
relief valve on the helmet. The helmet also had double visors, like the
two suits above.
