NASA Shows Off "New" Spacesuit

[Thagarr]

As some of you may already know, I have been pretty disappointed with NASA the past few years, there are many reasons for this, but I won't get in to them here. That has changed! I am no longer disappointed, I am highly amused! Wednesday, NASA announced their new space suit design that they plan on using on a manned mission to Mars. That is of course IF such a mission should ever actually happen. The space suit is called the Z-2 Spacesuit! This "design" apparently won a design contest challenge with 63% of the votes! Wow, sounds impressive doesn't it?? When I first saw it, I thought it looked familiar...

After a bit of thinking, I realized why this suit looked so familiar... I did a Google search for "NASA new space suits" , and yep, Google agrees!!! The only thing missing are the wings!!

"To infinity... and beyond!"

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I think NASA should check their calender. April 1st was exactly one month ago.

 

[Thagarr]

Sadly, this is all to true. I really wish it was an April fools joke though mate. NASA didn't really give a lot of options though, there were only two other suits in the running. Both of those looked even worse. You can find the other 2, plus more views and a 3D model of each HERE!

NASA has become a joke, along with most of the rest of the US Government programs. The last space shuttle touched down on July 21, 2011, we have not been able to put a manned space flight into orbit since. The US now pays Russia to hitch a ride on 1960's era Soyuz space capsules. It will be at least 2017 before the next NASA manned launch platform is ready.

In 1962 Kennedy gave his mission to the moon speech, six years later we were there. Now it takes us six years just to get back into orbit!

 

[ODemuth]

Well those "spacesuits" wont make it into space anyway. They are just for ground and vacuum testing. I think the future spacesuits which actually make it into space will look more like the current ones.

But if the wanted to make a freaked spacesuit why haven't they made a iron man or mass effect like spacesuit, that would have been awesome

 

[Grey Roger]

Take another look at the logo on the suit.

Apparently the same company who brought you the Ju 52 passenger aircraft are going to provide NASA's new suit. Which means Buzz will be going to infinity, or at least to Mars, in this.

 

[Thagarr]

Nice find mate! Surely NASA wouldn’t build off old German rocket technology .

 

[Thagarr]

I really wish this was a joke too, unfortunately it is not. It may however help explain why NASA chose those spacesuits now that I think about it!

Japanese beverage maker Otsuka is sending a 1 kilogram titanium can filled with powdered sports drink and children's dreams to the moon. The specially designed canister, which contains a shipment of Otsuka's Pocari Sweat powder, will mark a disturbing new frontier for humanity: the first commercial product delivered to another world for marketing purposes.

The canister will be carried to the lunar surface aboard the first planned private moon-landing mission, set to take place in October 2015. Otsuka says it hopes that the stunt will inspire young people to become astronauts, so they can travel the 380,000 kilometers (236,121 miles) to our closest celestial neighbor, crack open the can, and consume the powder inside.

The capsule will be conveyed to the moon by the Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon 9, designed to be a potentially reusable means of space travel by Elon Musk's SpaceX, has already made three successful supply runs to the International Space Station, but the planned mission in October 2015 would be the first time one of its rockets has successfully provided propulsion to the moon. After the Falcon 9 rocket has ignited its second-stage boosters and completed a four-and-a-half day journey to the moon, the Pocari Sweat-branded canister will be deposited on the surface by private company Astrobotic Technology's "Griffin" lander.

Rest of the story, and a bunch of pics and videos HERE!

 

[Pieter Boelen]

So much for exploration. Make that exploitation.