There Are No Casual Fridays in Space!
“I’m leaving the earth’s atmosphere and I do not have a thing to wear.”
How many times have you heard that age old expression?
Hanging out in zero gravity seems like a lot of fun, but your favorite t-shirt and jeans will not work. In space, humans need more protection than just a spaceship. We need clothing designed to survive the most hostile of environments.
Explore the evolution of spacesuits when Suited for Space is at the Science Museum of Virginia, Saturday, October 15-Saturday, December 31, 2011.
Suited for Space takes you on a journey from the earliest high-altitude pressure suits to the iconic white suits you know from Apollo and Skylab.
- Relive uncertain days of NASA’s first forays into space and the triumphs of lunar landings.
- The spacesuit was a critical piece of engineering that allowed Neil Armstrong to step onto another world and survive.
- The Apollo spacesuit he wore was the result of groundbreaking advances of previous mission suits, facilitating movement and dexterity in small spaces, remaining pressurized in zero gravity and providing essential oxygen, heating and cooling.
The exhibit features large-scale pictures of suits warn by astronauts as well as suits used in testing and training, since the actual spacesuits are too fragile to travel. Look for suits that made history – like the one Buzz Aldrin wore on the moon. Suited for Space includes a replica Apollo suit on loan from NASA and a glove, a boot and helmets from the National Air and Space Museum’s collection, as well as X-ray images to never-before-seen spacesuit interiors.
Suited for Space is developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. The national exhibition tour is generously supported by DuPont.
Suited for Space is included with exhibit admission. Tickets are $11 for ages 13-59 and $10 for ages 4-12 and 60+. For more information call 804.864.1400 or visit www.smv.org. The Museum is located at 2500 West Broad Street in Richmond.
