Spacewalk down the Catwalk: Vote for a Spacesuit!

[Smellincoffee]

http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/z2/

NASA is exploring three differently-named options (that purport to be three completely different options, even if they all look a bit ridiculous) for Martian space suits, and are allowing a vote by the public on them.

The options (for discussion, even if you can't be arsed to look at the poll):

"Biomimicry"

"Technology"

"Trends in Society".

Sadly not a contender is the "Buzz Lightyear".

 

[Melakon]

Some of those look pretty close to designs that were being entertained in the late 50s, early 60s.

 

[2takesfrakes]

I saw that it's not a contender, but I still prefer the Buzz Lightyear ...

 

[Gov Kodos]

The 60s promised me cool. That's a spacesuit for my space station. And in purple, I'm stunning. http://www.cultretro.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Gabrielle_Drake_eliis_shado.jpg

 

[B.J.]

Yeesh. They're all hideous, and I agree that the "Buzz Lightyear" looks better than all of them. (And they could've used a better 3D model for the person, if only to reduce the creepiness factor.) I voted, and the results currently look like this:
Technology 65%
Biomimicry 21.6%
Trends in Society 13.4%

However, this is isn't even going into space, nor will the final product even look the same. From the FAQ:

Is the design that is selected going to fly to space?
No, as the Z-series is still in the prototype or non-flight phase. The cover layer of a non-flight suit, which is used for ground-based testing, serves as abrasion/snag protection, a cover for technical details, and to a lesser extent, aesthetics. For a flight suit which is actually used for a spacewalk, the cover layer performs many other important functions such as micrometeorite, thermal and radiation protection. These requirements drive selection of specific high-performance materials and design details that would preclude us from using many of the features you see in these options for the Z-2 suit.

All that said, did anyone else notice a rather familiar uniform in the background of this pic?

"Biomimicry"

 

[Redfern]

I want to call them the Igor models as they all look like hunchbacks.

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[YellowSubmarine]

I actually favour Trends in Society. It's ugly as the rest (at least in the mockups), but the entire arms and legs are lighted up, so you can actually see what the posture of the other person is in even in complete darkness. So if it is going to be ugly, let's pick the more functional. Technology looks nicer though. These aren't going to be actually used, right?

 

[Smellincoffee]

These aren't going to be actually used, right?

My earnest hope is no. I'm thinking these are rough starts to establish some general direction, later resulting in suits that don't look quite so R2-D2ish.

 

[Romulan_spy]

What if we picked say "technology" and we meet aliens and the Y symbol on the front of the suit is actually the aliens' symbol for "F U"? Talk about a bad first contact! LOL

 

[gturner]

It would be trivial to have a conventional looking helmet that opens along the midsection (from ear-to-ear), with the front half and back half of the helmet permanently affixed to the front half and back half of the upper torso, so that entry is similar to the hunch back suit but the assembled look is more like an Apollo suit.

 

[Drone]

I must say that I was unaware that Nike and/or UnderArmor had gotten in the spacesuit branding game.

 

[Trekker4747]

I say the "Tron" one because it makes me giggle.

 

[Drone]

Does anyone else even half expect to "see" Kosh peering out from one of these?

 

[B.J.]

These aren't going to be actually used, right?

My earnest hope is no. I'm thinking these are rough starts to establish some general direction, later resulting in suits that don't look quite so R2-D2ish.

*sigh* Sometimes I wonder why I write anything at all if nobody's going to read it.

 

[Drone]

For what it's worth I did, but as opposed to what mere striplings are probably best advised to do here, I think I just like to see/hear myself talk too much. Sorry!!!

 

[publiusr]

Does anyone else even half expect to "see" Kosh peering out from one of these?

No no no...we are all posh here...

 

[Gov Kodos]

These aren't going to be actually used, right?

My earnest hope is no. I'm thinking these are rough starts to establish some general direction, later resulting in suits that don't look quite so R2-D2ish.

*sigh* Sometimes I wonder why I write anything at all if nobody's going to read it.

Read before posting? When did that become Net Etiquette?