The inside of an astronaut suit is nothing like you’d expect
- One Reddit user has shared a photo of the interior of a spacesuit
- Instead of separate pieces, it is one large, modular suit
- It was designed this way so that astronauts could easily dress themselves
Published on Dec 13, 2023 at 6:07 PM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Dec 20, 2023 at 2:15 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
We don’t know what we expected to see inside a spacesuit, but it wasn’t this.
Everyone knows what the outside of a spacesuit looks like.
But rarely are we given a glimpse into what lies beneath the puffy white exterior.
Luckily someone has shared a photo of what astronauts climb into before evacuating a spacecraft.
And the internet’s mind has been blown.
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A Reddit user posted a photo of the back of a spacesuit.
Rather than a zip or buttons, the suit hinges open at the back, like a door.
The ‘door’ part of the suit is full of technology needed to keep a person alive in space and mitigate the damage space can do to the human body.
There are tubes, gas canisters, life support systems and thermal control systems, all neatly stacked in a panel.
The main part of the suit is hollow for astronauts to climb into.
Two holes lead to the sleeve section for their arms while the wearer’s head easily slots into the bubble-like helmet, which is attached.
Commenters were quick to note that this was clearly not a spacesuit worn by American astronauts.
Called an Oslan suit, Russian cosmonauts have been exploring space in these since 1973.
It was so well-designed that it’s barely changed since then, only undergoing minor upgrades.
The Russians designed the suit so astronauts could dress themselves easily and without assistance.
Once they’ve climbed inside, the back hatch can be closed and locked with a simple lever.
The American spacesuit, by contrast, consists of separate torso, trouser and helmet pieces.
Both styles of suit weigh 242 pounds.
If this is the first time you’re seeing what a spacesuit looks like on the inside, you’re not alone.
“I didn’t know they came with their own fridge,” one commenter said.
“That looks like my Stanley coffee flask in the back,” another said.
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Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
