Far-out fashion: discover the latest trends in space style.

The way we view the solar system has changed since the last time humans set foot on the surface of the moon in 1972. Last August, scientists labeled Pluto a "dwarf planet"--shrinking the number of planets from nine to eight. As people around the world adjust to looking at the solar system in a new way, scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are busy making plans to explore Earth's neighborhood. These plans call for astronauts to return to the surface of the moon within the next 10 to 15 years. There, they will start staging a mission to Mars--farther than explorers have ever gone before.

To help NASA pull off these ambitious plans, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are trying to design a space outfit suited to the far-flung mission. Aerospace engineers say that current space gear, which includes a suit that is extremely heavy and stiff, won't cut it. That's because on these future missions, astronauts may be constructing stations on the lunar surface or scaling red-rock walls on Mars. For these activities, they'll need a suit that they can easily move around in. "If you took [the current spacesuit] on the surface of Mars, it would weigh over 100 pounds," says Jeffrey Hoffman, who was a NASA astronaut from 1978 to 1997. "That's a lot of weight to carry around."

The MIT research team, led by aerospace engineer Dava Newman and including Hoffman and students, has begun designing a space outfit called the Bio-Suit System. The new suit will be lightweight and flexible, but will still protect astronauts from the hazards of outer space.

UNDER PRESSURE

The most critical feature of any space gear is the ability to maintain pressure around the astronaut's body when he or she steps out of the cozy confines of a spacecraft.

On Earth's surface, your body is constantly exposed to the pressure of the air molecules in the atmosphere. Pulled down by Earth's gravity, these molecules press against your skin with a pressure of 1 atmosphere, or 14.7 pounds per square inch.

That pressure is critical: All of the tissues and fluids in your body contain essential gases such as oxygen. If the pressure on the outside of your body were to disappear, these gases would separate from your blood and tissues and would try to escape through your skin. "Over the course of 5 to 10 minutes, your skin would start to swell and it would become very painful," says Hoffman. "You can't tolerate that."

BAG IT

In the vacuum of space, there aren't enough air molecules to produce pressure against an astronaut's body.

To protect space explorers, today's spacesuits create air pressure by surrounding an astronaut's body with an air-filled bag. "[Astronauts] are basically wearing a human-shaped balloon," says Hoffman. The gas-filled suit squeezes an astronaut enough to prevent gases from escaping from the body. But as a result, the suit is extremely stiff and difficult to maneuver in. "Particularly in areas like your fingers, you have to work to make the spacesuit move," says Hoffman.

SHRINK WRAP

Instead of relying on an air-filled bag to create pressure, the Bio-Suit System uses tightly fitting fabric to squeeze the skin. The first suit to use this type of mechanical counter-pressure was the Space Activity Suit, created by Paul Webb in the early 1970s. But in order to produce enough pressure on the skin, the suit was made up of more than five separate skintight suits layered on top of one another. "It took over half an hour and the help of two assistants to get [the suit] on," says Newman.

How to make a high-pressure suit that's easy to don? Each Bio-Suit will be custom-made: To outfit an astronaut, scientists will use lasers to create a three-dimensional scan of the astronaut's body. Then, the suit will be crafted to perfectly fit those dimensions.

In the future, the Bio-Suit will also be made from "active materials." These materials change shape when electricity is applied to them. That way, the astronaut could easily zip into a one-layer suit. "Then, just before you are about to go outside, you activate the suit and it shrinks around you," says Hoffman. Once the astronaut returns to the safety of a space station, he or she would deactivate the shrinking mechanism to take off the garment.

BONUS FEATURES

In addition to a suit that fits like a second skin, the engineers from MIT hope to design different modules that future astronauts could slip over the outfit to match their daily needs. "You can put on whatever components you need depending on the environment you are working in," says Hoffman. For example: If the astronauts plan on working outside all day, they might slip on jackets that would protect them from collisions with speeding space debris. Or, since the temperature on Mars can dip to a frigid -153[degrees]C (-225[degrees]F) at the poles, an astronaut may choose to wear an overcoat with electrical heating wires running through it.

Future spacesuits may even help improve the astronaut's work performance. Scientists from other labs are trying to develop artificial muscle Fibers that can contract and expand along with a person's muscles as they move. The Bio-Suit may someday have these artificial muscle fibers sewn into it. That way, when astronauts need an extra boost, they could activate the fibers in the suit to enhance their strength and stamina. "That's a ways off in the future, but it's fun to think about," says Newman.

SHIFTING SPACE STYLE

Spacesuits have continued to change since humans first blasted into orbit in 1961. Over the years, engineers have fine-tuned the suits to meet the changing needs of astronauts.

1961

For the first space missions, astronauts wore modified versions of a Navy jet pilot's uniform. The suit's silver coating reflected heat to keep the astronauts cool.

1965

The first astronauts to "walk" in space wore gas-pressurized suits. They were attached to the spacecraft with cables that delivered oxygen.

1969

When astronauts first set foot on the moon, they wore a backpack system that contained a supply of oxygen to breathe and to pressurize their suits.

2006

Today's astronauts work outside the space shuttle and International Space Station. Astronauts have used "jet packs" attached to their space-suits to maneuver in space.

nuts & bolts

Fashion OF THE FUTURE

To create the Bio-Suit, scientists studied how parts of the body Stretch during walking and climbing. The suit make, positioned tight-fitting fibers along the body's lines of non-extension (white lines). Skin along these lines doesn't stretch much during movement. By squeezing along these lines, the fibers can maintain pressure without hindering the astronaut's movement.

Astronauts will lock their helmets onto a hard torso shell and carry a portable oxygen tank on their backs. Future gloves and boots may have special sticky coatings that will help astronauts scale steep rock walls.

PHYSICAL: Technology

Far-Out Fashion

PRE-READING PROMPTS

Jump-start your lesson with these pre-reading questions:

* President George W. Bush announced on January 14, 2004, that astronauts would return to the moon by 2020. Since astronauts last visited the moon in 1972, why would they want to return?

* The weight of the air in Earth's atmosphere exerts a force on your body called air pressure. There are extremely few air molecules in space, so spacesuits are designed to create air pressure similar to that on Earth. Why is air pressure important for astronauts? How are current spacesuits designed to mimic the air pressure on Earth?

* The force of gravity on Earth is three times stronger than it is on Mars. The current spacesuit weighs approximately 136 kilograms (300 pounds) on Earth. Knowing this information, can you calculate the approximate weight of today's spacesuit on Mars'? (Answer: 45 kg, or 100 lbs) What are some of the limitations of current spacesuits? Would the current gear be suitable for future astronauts to wear while exploring Mars?

* Many items that you wear are partly the result of spacesuit-design technology. Spacesuit-inspired gear includes running shoes, shock-absorbing helmets, sweat-wicking sportswear, sports bras, ski goggles, thermal gloves and boots, and ski boots. On the flipside, an already existing item inspired the design of the earliest spacesuit. Do you know what the early spacesuit was modeled after?

CRITICAL THINKING:

* A July 2004 Gallup poll found that 68 percent of Americans think that it is a good idea for humans to explore the moon and Mars. What do you think: Should humans continue exploring space? Explain your reasoning.

CROSS-CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS:

ART: Research the environment of Mars. Then, based on your findings, design a spacesuit that is most suitable for exploring that environment. Consider what features or tools astronauts may need in order to explore--or protect themselves from-the Martian terrain and environment.

RESOURCES

* To learn more about the future of space missions, read "NASA: What's Next," by Jeanna Bryner, Science World, January 16, 2006.

* Download a handbook that explains the design of past spacesuits from this NASA website: http://history.nasa.gov/spacesuits.pdf

* This NASA website has information for teachers about the history and the future of Mars exploration: http://quest.arc.nasa.govlmars/teachers//earning.html

Far-Out Fashion

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DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. Why might the current spacesuit be inappropriate to wear on a future mission to Mars?

2. What is the most critical feature of a spacesuit?

3. Why does air pressure push against your body on Earth's surface? How strong is this pressure?

4. What would happen to your body if you were to step into space without wearing a spacesuit? Why?

5. How will the Bio-Suit System work to "squeeze" the astronaut's body in a precise manner?

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING

FAR-OUT FASHION

1. On future space missions, astronauts may be constructing stations or scaling red-rock walls on Mars For that they'll need a suit that they can easily move around in. The current spacesuit would weigh more than 100 pounds on the surface of Mars, making it too heavy and difficult to work in

2. The most critical feature of a spacesuit is that it maintains air pressure around the astronaut's body when he or she steps out of the confines of a spacecraft.

3. On Earth's surface, your body is constantly exposed to the pressure of the air molecules in the atmosphere, These air molecules, pulled down by Earth's gravity, press against your skin with a pressure of 1 atmosphere, or 147 pounds per square inch.

4. Unlike on Earth, the vacuum of space does not contain enough air molecules to produce pressure against the human body As a result, all of the gases dissolved in the body's tissues and fluids would separate and try to escape through the skin The skin would start to swell and it would become very painful After just a few minutes, the oxygen that is essential to life would leak out of the body-causing unconsciousness and eventually death

5. Right now, the Sio Suit System uses tightly fitting fabric to squeeze the astronaut's skin. In the future, each Bio-Suit will be custom made: Scientists will use lasers to create a three-dimensional scan of the astronaut's body Then, the suit will be crafted to perfectly fit those dimensions. The future Sio-Suit will also be made from "active materials" These materials change shape when electricity is applied to them. That way, the astronaut could easily zip into a one-layer suit. Then, just before going outside, he or she could activate the suit and have it shrink around the body.