New Delhi: American private space startup Vast aims to deploy the Haven-1 commercial space station, and has unveiled its Astronaut Flight Suit at the 41st Space Symposium. The astronaut suit has a human-centric design, and will be worn by crew for events, training and the first crewed missions on Haven-1. The suits will also by used on the sixth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), in collaboration with NASA. The spacesuit has been developed in consultation with spaceflight experts, and is designed for pressurised orbital complexes with a focus on mobility, comfort and on-orbit functionality for living and working in space.
Features of the Artemis II flight suit. (Image Credit: Vast).
Flight suits were originally for test pilots in extreme environments and high altitude bombers, and have evolved considerably over time. Vast Lead Astronaut and former NASA acting Chief Astronaut Andrew Feustel has played an important role in advising on the design of the suit. The Vast Astronaut Flight Suit combines the symbolism of the traditional suit with the comfort and practicality of modern workwear, with astronauts choosing functional workwear such as a shirt and cargo pants over flight suits on the ISS. Astronauts need to constantly move through tight spaces, and have access to tools.
Spacesuits built for utility
The Vast flight suits are optimised for training on Earth, and working in orbit as well. There are thigh pockets with hook-and-loop attachments for tools, as well as velcro. The jackets and pants can be worn separately, or zipped together into a jumpsuit. The material is lightweight and breathable, with back vents and shoulder gussets to enable the full-range-of motion. The suits will also be tailored to each crew member, with a unique mission patch specific to the flight. Vast plans to iteratively test the spacesuits over the next year, and refine them as necessary. Once deployed, Vast is also keen on Gaganyaan flights to its Haven-1 space station.