Elon Musk’s SpaceX mission, Crew Dragon, carries two American, one Japanese and one French astronaut to the ISS – International Space Station. Photos of the four wearing a soft, minimalist and futuristic white spacesuit flooded the news, but who is behind its creation and the story behind SpaceX’s new spacesuit?
It took between three and four years for Elon Musk and his team to finish working on the SpaceX new spacesuit. Combining aesthetic and efficiency was a challenge that took time to overcome.
“You see the spacesuits in the movies – they look good, they don’t work well,” Musk said. “You can make a spacesuit that works, but it doesn’t look good because fundamentally it’s a pressure suit that has to survive in a vacuum.”
He now hopes their attractive and innovative designed suits will inspire kids to become astronauts and get them “fired up”.
Credit: Instagram @nasa
But what makes this spacesuit different from previous ones, and what is causing it so attractive? In addition to ensuring astronauts protection by providing sufficient oxygen and a regulated temperature, their helmets are 3D-printed. The gloves are touchscreen sensitive – as their control panel is touchscreen-only.
Also, in a press release, NASA said that “integrated valves, mechanisms for visor retraction and locking, and microphones” are included and integrated within the helmet’s structure.
Credit: Instagram @thom_astro
Who is behind its design?
Hollywood costume designer Jose Fernandez – responsible for the most famous and outstanding superheroes’ outfits in movies – created the prototype of the 2021 spacesuit which astronauts are wearing.
In the Ironhead Studio, Jose Fernandez created the costumes of Batman, Superman, Ironman, Black Panther, Spider-Man, Captain America… and a lot more others.
Credit: Instagram @ironhead_studio
Credit: Instagram @ironhead_studio
Credit: Instagram @ironhead_studio
Credit: Instagram @ironhead_studio
Credit: Instagram @ironhead_studio
Credit: Instagram @ironhead_studio
Fun Fact: When Elon Musk approached the designer in 2016 to create a spacesuit, Fernandez thought it was for a fictitious movie.
Looks like Marvel superheroes turned out to be real.