View allAll Photos Tagged spacesuit
At 70,000 feet above the Earth, I took this selfie—encased in a full-pressure suit inside the cockpit of a U-2 spy plane, one of the most iconic aircraft ever built. At that moment, I was the 11th highest person on the planet—only the astronauts aboard the International Space Station were higher. The thin, curved line of the atmosphere shimmered below me; above, the sky faded into the deep black of space.
This flight was the culmination of rigorous preparation—chamber training, physical tests, oxygen pre-breathing, and a surreal introduction to “tube food” (the chocolate pudding wasn’t bad). The U-2 itself is a marvel: designed in the 1950s by Lockheed’s legendary Kelly Johnson to out-climb missiles and outlast the Cold War. Essentially a powered glider with wings like a dragonfly, it still flies today—outliving even its successor, the SR-71.
Flying with Lt. Colonel Joe “Tucc” Santucci at the controls, I felt suspended between two worlds. Inside the pressurized bubble, silence reigned. Outside, the Earth unfurled like a vast, living map. The GoPro I mounted captured not just an image, but a visceral memory: the edge of the possible.
Before takeoff, they put me in a steel-reinforced chamber to simulate a sudden cabin breach. The pressure dropped instantly to 70,000 feet. I watched a bottle of water boil—an unforgettable demonstration of what would happen to my blood without the suit.
That suit saved my life. But the view changed it.
In that singular moment, with my hand raised toward the lens, I wasn’t just taking a photo. I was reaching out to capture the awe—the profound, humbling perspective that only comes from seeing our fragile world from the edge of space.
This is a LEGO model of the famous photo of Dr. Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11). Notice the helmet reflection of the LEGO lunar lander 10266 and astronaut (Neil Armstrong) minifigure & shadow!
I also made a LEGO model of the NASA ARTEMIS space suit- the next generation spacesuit for the first woman and next man to land and walk on the moon in 2024.
Please support the idea at the LEGO Ideas website.
With 10000 votes in 1 year, LEGO will consider making it a real LEGO set.
Thank you for your support!
Shane and I working on our spacesuits for Wednesday's spacewalk (Mark and Megan will have the huge task to get us into the suits and prepare the airlock), and after that the spacesuit taking a well-deserved break. The spacesuits work hard too you know! They are a marvel of engineering and the only thing keeping us alive when we head outside. Their design is at complete opposites, on the one hand we want them to be as thick as possible to protect us against vacuum and temperature differences, but on the other hand we want them to be as light and manoeuvrable as possible so we can get the work done! As with all design and engineering (and in other domains, I hear you say) it is all a matter of trade-off and compromise. During the spacewalk we will regularly check our gloves for scratches, as they touch the most objects and surfaces (we walk with our hands remember) but they also have to be the most agile so are the most likely to show wear and tear.
On continue à préparer la sortie extravéhiculaire de mercredi prochain (et celle du dimanche suivant !) avec Shane et toute l’équipe : Mark et Megan auront un boulot monstre dans l’airlock, pour nous aider à enfiler les combinaisons, tout préparer… et nous mettre dehors. Cette semaine on s’est beaucoup concentrés sur les scaphandres. Ce sont des merveilles de technologies, il faut bien ça pour nous protéger du vide spatial ! Ils doivent répondre à des contraintes et des besoins finalement opposés : d’un côté on veut qu’elles soient aussi solides que possible pour nous protéger du vide et des variations de temperature. De l’autre, on a besoin qu’elles soient suffisamment souples pour être manœuvrables, sans être fourbus après trente minutes ! Le résultat c’est ce superbe compromis, souple et solide à la fois (on dirait que je fais une pub de lessive ;)). Pendant la sortie, on vérifiera régulièrement si nos gants n’ont pas d’égratignures : ce sont eux qui touchent le plus de choses, vu qu’on marche… avec nos mains au final, en agrippant la structure pour nous déplacer #escalade
Credits: ESA/NASA
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A quick wave to NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly in the Cupola – just starting to tie down cables and make electrical connections.
Credits: ESA/NASA
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An operator equipped with a spacesuit, a tablet and a geological instrument for rock recognition performs a simulated moonwalk at Europe’s ‘Moon on Earth’ – the ESA-DLR LUNA facility.
Bathed in realistic lighting, this was the first rehearsal to try out the ergonomics of scientific tools to study the mineralogical and chemical composition of regolith – the dust, soil and rock on the Moon’s surface – in a lunar-like environment.
Future missions to the Moon will benefit from real-time, on the spot and accurate geological analysis. Astronauts could quickly decide what samples to collect, while robots could identify resources without human intervention on the Moon, Mars or asteroids.
European experts training astronauts in planetary geology during ESA’s PANGAEA campaigns have already stressed the need for high-tech survey equipment and minerological databases to make explorers scientifically productive during field trips and moonwalks.
Industry and research institutions responded to the call and developed PHOENIX, a combination of portable instruments capable of analysing minerals and their chemical elements at the same time.
Each of the PHOENIX instruments integrates two complementary analytical techniques: molecular (Raman) and elemental analysis (laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy or X-Ray fluorescence). The equipment also features a camera for alignment and allows wireless communication and data visualisation in real-time.
Some of the spectroscopy expertise derives directly from the ExoMars mission, whose Rosalind Franklin rover features a Raman Laser Spectrometer for analysing martian samples.
The trials at LUNA evaluated the toolkit’s usability for future crewed lunar exploration missions in a controlled environment. One of the challenges was the extremely fine and ubiquitous dust. This type of dust is a health hazard for humans, and it is also tough on electronics.
Outside LUNA, ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, an advanced PANGAEA geology trainee, handled the instrument and provided valuable feedback for the engineers to understand how an astronaut would operate the device.
Beyond space exploration, the analytical power of PHOENIX in dissecting the composition of materials holds potential on Earth for geological research and industrial applications, such as quality control in pharmaceutical and food industries, archaeology, art history and crime scene investigations.
An international consortium designed and built the two PHOENIX breadboard instruments led by the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial from Spain, in collaboration with the University of Leicester in the UK, the University of Valladolid in Spain, and Mission Control Space Services Inc. in Canada.
Extensive testing and validation of the PHOENIX breadboards will continue. Teams will use lessons learned from the first trials to refine its design, improve performance and prepare for conditions on the Moon or Mars.
Credits: DLR-M. Diegeler
Lauch re-entry suit used by famous South Australian Andy Thomas during his stay on the Russion space station Mir in 1998.
I was rather surprised to see it made from the humble material of canvas, but impressed with the zips and clips.
Today’s exhilarating spacewalk will be etched in my memory forever – quite an incredible feeling!
More about the Principia mission: www.esa.int/Principia
Credits: ESA/NASA
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Guinguin se prend pour un pilote maintenant. On a essayé nos scaphandres une dernière fois avant le retour, pour une ultime vérification. Il y a une légende urbaine qui raconte l’histoire d’un astronaute qui ne rentrait plus dans sa combinaison après avoir abusé de la musculation pendant ses 6 mois de mission, et non ce n’était pas moi en 2017 💪 Pas forcément facile à enfiler, mais on s’entraide. 😁
Guinguin wants to fly the ship now. We tried on our spacesuits one last time to check that everything still fits! There’s an urban legend of an astronaut who worked out so much on ISS that he didn’t fit in his spacesuit (or in his custom-moulded) seat for return… it’s not going to be me… I hope 💪. As getting into the spacesuits is not easy, and maybe because it will be one of the last times we are weightless for a long time the pictures came out fun.
Credits: ESA/NASA
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ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti in the International Space Station's airlock. She explains: "Hoses, hoses everywhere! Periodic scrubbing of the cooling water loops of the airlock and of three spacesuits. You need cooling water to remove excess body heat while you work hard during a spacewalk!"
ID: 270A0709
Credit: ESA/NASA
Many thanks to the BlueDot teams at ESA and DLR for making this such a successful mission!
Credits: ESA/NASA
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I really like integrating the Atlantis helmets with hardsuits.
All notes on my reflection will be deleted.
New From Anachron @ GENRE's Sci Fi Round (runs through June 12th)
Location: Universe maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Black%20Mocha/203/202/22
LEGO spacesuit:
All joints are movable (shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, waist, hip, knees, ankles), the rear hatch opens, and the life support components (mini-builds) are in the backpack.
The building instruction and part list are in Rebrickable:
Through Space the Universe encompasses and swallows me up like an atom; through thought I comprehend the world - Blaise Pascal
"In space, no one can hear you hiss..."
Since you've breached out of your egg, you've always dreamt to become an astrosaurian? Join the Saurian Space Program now and wear the newest VL-02 space suit.
Th VL-02 space suit is filled with cutting edge technologies, like the tail propulsor, HUD display or the mechanical claws featuring the latest breakthrough in claw technology: the "opposite claw finger"!
Guinguin se prend pour un pilote maintenant. On a essayé nos scaphandres une dernière fois avant le retour, pour une ultime vérification. Il y a une légende urbaine qui raconte l’histoire d’un astronaute qui ne rentrait plus dans sa combinaison après avoir abusé de la musculation pendant ses 6 mois de mission, et non ce n’était pas moi en 2017 💪 Pas forcément facile à enfiler, mais on s’entraide. 😁
Guinguin wants to fly the ship now. We tried on our spacesuits one last time to check that everything still fits! There’s an urban legend of an astronaut who worked out so much on ISS that he didn’t fit in his spacesuit (or in his custom-moulded) seat for return… it’s not going to be me… I hope 💪. As getting into the spacesuits is not easy, and maybe because it will be one of the last times we are weightless for a long time the pictures came out fun.
Credits: ESA/NASA
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Guinguin se prend pour un pilote maintenant. On a essayé nos scaphandres une dernière fois avant le retour, pour une ultime vérification. Il y a une légende urbaine qui raconte l’histoire d’un astronaute qui ne rentrait plus dans sa combinaison après avoir abusé de la musculation pendant ses 6 mois de mission, et non ce n’était pas moi en 2017 💪 Pas forcément facile à enfiler, mais on s’entraide. 😁
Guinguin wants to fly the ship now. We tried on our spacesuits one last time to check that everything still fits! There’s an urban legend of an astronaut who worked out so much on ISS that he didn’t fit in his spacesuit (or in his custom-moulded) seat for return… it’s not going to be me… I hope 💪. As getting into the spacesuits is not easy, and maybe because it will be one of the last times we are weightless for a long time the pictures came out fun.
Credits: ESA/NASA
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Danser un slow avec mon scaphandre : check. On a essayé nos scaphandres une dernière fois avant le retour, pour une ultime vérification. Il y a une légende urbaine qui raconte l’histoire d’un astronaute qui ne rentrait plus dans sa combinaison après avoir abusé de la musculation pendant ses 6 mois de mission, et non ce n’était pas moi en 2017 💪 Pas forcément facile à enfiler, mais on s’entraide. 😁
SpaceX spacesuit slow dancing... yes! We tried on our spacesuits one last time to check that everything still fits! There’s an urban legend of an astronaut who worked out so much on ISS that he didn’t fit in his spacesuit (or in his custom-moulded) seat for return… it’s not going to be me… I hope 💪. As getting into the spacesuits is not easy, and maybe because it will be one of the last times we are weightless for a long time the pictures came out fun.
Credits: ESA/NASA
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I made a LEGO model of the NASA ARTEMIS space suit- the next generation spacesuit for the first woman and next man to land and walk on the moon in 2024.
More photos of the model are available in the album.
Please support this idea at the LEGO Ideas website by clicking the Support button to make this model a real LEGO set!
Here is my latest LEGO creation- SpaceX Launch and Entry Spacesuit for Crew Dragon.
It was tricky to fit the square brickhead in the iconic curvy helmet.
More photos on the voting webpage:
ideas.lego.com/projects/e924bcf2-12d9-48cc-b0d4-d02fdbdef...
I appreciate your votes and feedback on the LEGO Ideas website (above)!
National Air and Space Museum "Destination Moon" Exhibit. Neil Armstrong wore this spacesuit when he made his historic “one small step” onto the surface of the Moon on July 20, 1969.
Guinguin se prend pour un pilote maintenant. On a essayé nos scaphandres une dernière fois avant le retour, pour une ultime vérification. Il y a une légende urbaine qui raconte l’histoire d’un astronaute qui ne rentrait plus dans sa combinaison après avoir abusé de la musculation pendant ses 6 mois de mission, et non ce n’était pas moi en 2017 💪 Pas forcément facile à enfiler, mais on s’entraide. 😁
Guinguin wants to fly the ship now. We tried on our spacesuits one last time to check that everything still fits! There’s an urban legend of an astronaut who worked out so much on ISS that he didn’t fit in his spacesuit (or in his custom-moulded) seat for return… it’s not going to be me… I hope 💪. As getting into the spacesuits is not easy, and maybe because it will be one of the last times we are weightless for a long time the pictures came out fun.
Credits: ESA/NASA
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You can run, but you can't hide... Not even in space!
Space Suit Surge comin' through, with removable backpack, Sniper rifle, helmet that moves (much wow), and WAIST ARTICULATION!
PS: Flickr, Y U make layout look like poop? Poop, i say, poop!
Nasa had a group of blonde female astronauts that wanted to go to the moon! They told them that due to budget cuts all they had to give them was this balloon! So they said we'll take it! A couple days later they returned and were asked how it went? They said they forgot it was a new moon and they couldn't find it in the dark!
On a essayé nos scaphandres une dernière fois avant le retour, pour une ultime vérification. Il y a une légende urbaine qui raconte l’histoire d’un astronaute qui ne rentrait plus dans sa combinaison après avoir abusé de la musculation pendant ses 6 mois de mission, et non ce n’était pas moi en 2017 💪 Pas forcément facile à enfiler, mais on s’entraide. 😁
We tried on our spacesuits one last time to check that everything still fits! There’s an urban legend of an astronaut who worked out so much on ISS that he didn’t fit in his spacesuit (or in his custom-moulded) seat for return… it’s not going to be me… I hope 💪. As getting into the spacesuits is not easy, and maybe because it will be one of the last times we are weightless for a long time the pictures came out fun.
Credits: ESA/NASA
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Danser un slow avec mon scaphandre : check. On a essayé nos scaphandres une dernière fois avant le retour, pour une ultime vérification. Il y a une légende urbaine qui raconte l’histoire d’un astronaute qui ne rentrait plus dans sa combinaison après avoir abusé de la musculation pendant ses 6 mois de mission, et non ce n’était pas moi en 2017 💪 Pas forcément facile à enfiler, mais on s’entraide. 😁
SpaceX spacesuit slow dancing... yes! We tried on our spacesuits one last time to check that everything still fits! There’s an urban legend of an astronaut who worked out so much on ISS that he didn’t fit in his spacesuit (or in his custom-moulded) seat for return… it’s not going to be me… I hope 💪. As getting into the spacesuits is not easy, and maybe because it will be one of the last times we are weightless for a long time the pictures came out fun.
Credits: ESA/NASA
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1:7 scale NASA Artemis Spacesuit for the lunar mission in mid 2020's👨🚀🌙
ideas.lego.com/projects/4b24ba08-2d51-4709-80c2-3469be59c292
Please support this project on the lego ideas wevsite to make it a real lego set!
New image of my LEGO Ideas entry: NASA Artemis Spacesuit.
The latest spacesuit for the moon exploration from 2024 was made brick by brick, featuring the realistic look based on the real Artemis spacesuit, functional joints, detailed portable life support system (backpack), rear entry hatch, and two minifigs representing the "first woman" and "next man" since the Apollo Program in '60s and early '70s.
The CO2 scrubber, O2 tanks, and other components in the backpack are also made with LEGO bricks (mini or microbuilds!).
If you like space-theme lego set ideas, please support another set of my creation:
ideas.lego.com/projects/9b8276b7-e231-400f-8910-0b2fe67b32de
Interior view of our spacesuits, it is a tight fit! OFV (we LOVE acronyms in the space industry): or On-orbit Fit Verification: we try out our spacesuits before taking them out this week. Mark is working hard getting us in the suit and making sure everything is in configuration… and that the suit is airtight. It seems like we’re getting a foot massage, but we’re not!
Vue de l’intérieur du scaphandre, peu flatteuse, mais ça permet de voir que c’est assez étriqué… La sortie dans l'espace de mercredi prochain avec Shane se rapproche ! Tous ceux qui travaillent dans le spatial vous le diront : rien ne vaut un bon vieil acronyme. Celui du jour : OFV. L’activité à consisté à essayer nos scaphandres pour vérifier que tout était parfait, avant de les utiliser dehors dans l'environnement franchement hostile de l'espace. Shane et moi avons été aidés par Mark et Megan – un scaphandre spatial, ça ne s’enfile pas tout seul !
Credits: NASA–M. McArthur
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Tabletop documentation of Space Shuttle Crew Escape Equipment. Front views of the Advanced crew escape suit (ACES), helmet, communications carrier, adult pants, boots, gloves, survival mittens, survival packs, anti-g suit, harness assembly and light sticks. First used on STS-64, which landed on September 20, 1994.
Credit: NASA
Image Number: S98-01904
Date: February 10, 1998
This spacesuit was constructed for and worn by astronaut Eugene Cernan,
Lunar Module pilot of the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
Apollo 17 was the eleventh and final manned mission in the United States Apollo space program. Launched at 12:33 a.m. EST on 7 December 1972, with a three-member crew consisting of Commander Eugene Cernan, Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans, and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 remains the most recent manned Moon landing and the most recent manned flight beyond low Earth orbit.
Apollo 17 was the sixth Apollo lunar landing, the first night launch of a U.S. human spaceflight
and the final manned launch of a Saturn V rocket. It was a "J-type mission",
missions including three-day lunar surface stays, extended scientific capability,
and the third Lunar Roving Vehicle. While Evans remained in lunar orbit above in the Command/Service Module, Cernan and Schmitt spent just over three days on the lunar surface in the Taurus-Littrow valley, conducting three periods of extra-vehicular activity, or moonwalks, during which they collected lunar samples and deployed scientific instruments. Cernan, Evans,
and Schmitt returned to Earth on 19 December after an approximately 12-day mission.
The decision to land in the Taurus-Littrow valley was made with the primary objectives for Apollo 17 in mind: to sample lunar highland material older than the impact that formed Mare Imbrium and investigating the possibility of relatively young volcanic activity in the same vicinity. Taurus-Littrow was selected with the prospects of finding highland material in the valley's north and south walls and the possibility that several craters in the valley surrounded by dark material could be linked to volcanic activity.
Apollo 17 also broke several records set by previous flights, including the longest manned lunar landing flight; the longest total lunar surface extravehicular activities; the largest lunar sample return, and the longest time in lunar orbit.
This spacesuit has the designation A7-L and was constructed in the EV (extra-vehicular) configuration.
It permitted maximum mobility and was designed to be worn with relative comfort for up to 115 hours in conjunction with the liquid cooling garment. It was also capable of being worn for 14 days in an unpressurized mode.
The spacesuit was made by the International Latex Corporation, and transferred to the
National Air and Space Museum from NASA - Manned Spacecraft Center in 1973.
Danser un slow avec mon scaphandre : check. On a essayé nos scaphandres une dernière fois avant le retour, pour une ultime vérification. Il y a une légende urbaine qui raconte l’histoire d’un astronaute qui ne rentrait plus dans sa combinaison après avoir abusé de la musculation pendant ses 6 mois de mission, et non ce n’était pas moi en 2017 💪 Pas forcément facile à enfiler, mais on s’entraide. 😁
SpaceX spacesuit slow dancing... yes! We tried on our spacesuits one last time to check that everything still fits! There’s an urban legend of an astronaut who worked out so much on ISS that he didn’t fit in his spacesuit (or in his custom-moulded) seat for return… it’s not going to be me… I hope 💪. As getting into the spacesuits is not easy, and maybe because it will be one of the last times we are weightless for a long time the pictures came out fun.
Credits: ESA/NASA
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