1000 Things You Should Know About Space

Space Suits

*Space suits protect astronauts when they go outside their spacecraft. The suits were also called EMUs (Extra-vehicular Mobility Units).

*The outer layers of a space suit protect against harmful radiation from the Sun and bullet-fast particles of space dust called micrometeoroids.

*The clear, plastic helmet also protects against radiation and micrometeoroids.

*Oxygen is circulated around the helmet to stop the visor misting.

*The middle layers of a space suit are blown up like a balloon to press against the astronaut's body. Without this pressure, the astronaut's blood would boil.

*The soft inner lining of a space suit has tubes of water in it to cool the astronaut's body or warm it up.

*The backpack supplies pure oxygen for the astronaut to breathe, and gets rid of the carbon dioxide he or she gives out. The oxygen comes from tanks which hold enough for up to 7 hours.

*The gloves have silicon-rubber fingertips which allow the astronaut some sense of touch.

*Various different gadgets in th suit deal with liquids-including a tube for drinks and another for collecting urine.

*The full cost of a spacesuit is about $11 million although 70% of this is for the backpack and contol module.

*Space suits not only have to provide a complete life-support system (oxygen, water, and so on), but must also protect against the dangers of space.