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By Rick Crosslin, School Liason for Science Learning
When an astronaut puts on a space suit it is really just like getting inside a space craft. A space suit must be able to protect and provide the astronaut with life support. This means that the suit must keep the astronaut warm. On a spacewalk the temperature can be as low as - 148 degrees Fahrenheit. In the sun the temperature can be as high as 248 degrees Fahrenheit. The suit must be able to heat and cool the astronaut in space.
The space suit must also provide oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. On earth we have air pressure from the atmosphere all around us. There is no atmosphere, air or air pressure in space. Our atmosphere protects use from solar radiation from the sun. Another job of the space suit is to protect the astronaut from radiation. Some of the other dangers include small micrometeoroids – small rocks moving through space. And finally, the space suit must allow for the astronaut to see, move, and work in space.
The next time you visit the Children’s Museum take a few minutes to see a real space suit worn by Indiana Astronaut Dr. David Wolf. The suit is located on the Lower Level outside the Planetarium.
Find out more about NASA Spacesuits and Spacewalks or about David Wolf.
