Russian
suits
http://www.space.com/news/spacestation/space_garments_000627.html
Whether Donatella Versace makes good on an expected deal to design space fashion or not, cosmonauts already have a relatively deep closet when it comes to flight
garments.
As the Soviet Union and Russia are pioneers in long-duration
spaceflight, it comes as no surprise that they reign supreme on the question of
"what to wear" in space.
This warming suit
is one of the items cosmonauts may pack in their bags for trips to the Mir
space station and International space station.
"Thirty years ago, cosmonauts’ flight clothes consisted
basically of spacesuits," said Alexander Yarov, general director of
Kentavr-Science, Ltd., the company under contract to design and manufacture
cosmonauts' clothing. "Now we can proudly say that cosmonauts have a real wardrobe
in space."
Yarov, who works closely with the Russian space agency's Institute
for Biomedical Problems (IBMP) says his company has succeeded in designing clothing that
cosmonauts and astronauts find comfortable, practical and fashionable.
Color matters
Designers at the IBMP believe that sartorial savvy is a key
component to human spaceflight.
"Space garments -- clothes, underclothes, lingerie and shoes
-- are more than just something to keep crew members warm and
comfortable," said Anatoly Noskin, deputy chief designer at IBMP.
"They are an important part of biomedical and emotional support to the crews in orbit."
And space togs must meet physiological and psychological
requirements set by IBMP. New garment types must undergo vigorous training on Earth and gain approval from physicians, cosmonauts and the
Russian space agency.
"Cosmonauts are not lab rabbits that need nothing but
life-support supplies," Noskin said. "Adequate dress is an important
condition for the support of their self-esteem during long-term flights."
Each Russian underwear package provided by Kentavr-Science
contains six T-shirts of different colors so cosmonauts may make selections in
tune with their moods. The same is true with on-board suits. Each crew member
may order a suit of any color, or combination of colors, he or she chooses.
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"Things which cosmonauts wear, other than being comfortable,
should also have friendly colors and be in harmony with the colors of the space
station," said Yarov. "The claret-colored, dark claret-colored and
gray-blue shirts of the U.S. astronauts make the eyes tired. Color gamma is not
taken into consideration during short-term shuttle flights."
Outerwear designed for comfort
Cosmonauts packing for space currently can choose from 21 items
ranging from "warming suits" to underwear, lingerie and socks. The
size of each cosmonaut's wardrobe depends on the duration of their flight. Some
missions to Russia's Mir space station
last several months.
For outerwear, cosmonauts may select from four outfits, each
weighing about 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds):
- a multi-pocket "changeable
suit", made of cotton and lavsan. These are designed with comfort in
mind and cosmonauts tend to wear them most frequently
- an "operators’ suit,"
also made of cotton and built-in springs designed to support the back and
muscles that often fail to work in weightlessness
- a warming suit made of U.S.
extra-fine synthetic fabric for cold weather wear
- a "light suit"
consisting of a polo-type shirt, shorts and socks This outfit also is
popular among cosmonauts, especially when the temperature rises on Mir.
Although cosmonauts are provided with instructions regarding when
each particular type of on-board suit should be worn, the final decision is
ultimately up to him or her.
The suits can be worn with an accessory belt for attaching tools
and other devices.
On their feet, cosmonauts usually wear socks, donning shoes mainly
for workouts. Space shoes have padded soles to prevent cosmonauts from
developing flat feet in weightlessness. The soles are also reinforced to
withstand the abuse of treadmill exercises.
For a six-month flight, each cosmonaut gets two or three light
suits, two or three changeable suits, one operator and one warming suit, along
with a pair of shoes and about 30 pairs of socks.
"Our on-board suits can be used on Earth as well," Yarov
said. "The U.S. Department of Energy sponsored the manufacturing of such
suits for the Russian nuclear plants. Pilots of the Russian jet aerobatic team
-- the ‘Russian Knights’ -- are also using our suits and love them."
What you really want to know
The item that is closer to cosmonauts’ bodies than any other space
garment is underwear. One crew member needs about 60 sets of underwear for a
six-month flight. There are two basic types, called Camelia A and Camelia SM.
Camelia A
underwear
Camelia A is short underwear, which includes shorts and a T-shirt.
Camelia SM is a long underwear worn when the temperature inside
the station is colder than usual.
Space underwear also doubles as sportswear for exercises aboard
the station.
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"The Americans [on Mir] are very surprised at the elasticity
of our underwear," Yarov said. "They believed that it was made of
lycra. This is a pure cotton, however. The manufacturing process of such cotton
fabric has been refined over decades."
Not everything is unisex
Camelia A and Camelia SM are unisex. Men wear it with no extra
pieces of underwear. For women, it's a different matter.
"We believe that it is inappropriate to ask women wear shorts
like men," Yarov said. "For this reason all women will have a regular
Earth-like lingerie. Bras, T-shirts and bikini-type panties will have a lot of
lace decoration."
Women cosmonauts and astronauts on Mir
are given the opportunity to select the undergarments they most prefer.
"Space lingerie is one of the major components of
psychological support which we provide to women in orbit," Yarov said.
"The goal of this support is to make women on board feel like women, not
just astronauts or cosmonauts. Shannon Lucid and Elena Kondakova liked their
lingerie very much."
If you were a
woman in space, these would be some of your lingerie options.
The women's underwear is made of cotton. Women are issued a weekly
set of lingerie and disposable briefs for daily changes.
"This space lingerie is not worse than Victoria’s Secret or
Triumph items," Eugenia Segeda, a designer working at Kentavr-Science
said. "I certainly would not mind wearing it every day."
For men and women, underwear can be worn for up to three days.
After that, it is worn as exercise clothing for three sessions. Then it is
thrown away.
Look for the union label
Before it flies in space, each garment must pass strict quality controls,
Yarov said.
"It is cleaned of any dust particles," he said.
"All sticking threads are removed and all seams are smoothed out. After
this each item is X-rayed to make it sure that no needle or pin has remained in
it."
Next, the item is sterilized by an electronic beam. Finally, a
unique number is affixed and the item is placed into a clear plastic package
and hermetically sealed. Only then is it ready to be sent to the station.
"Cosmonauts’ garments must be functional, comfortable and
meet the hygienic requirements on board the station," Yarov said.
"They also must be oxidation-resistant and emit no gases."
Space garments also must be tear resistant -- a point of
difference between U.S. and Russian specialists. While the former uses buttons,
IBMP designers believe they are totally unacceptable.
"What if a button is torn off and later gets into the throat
of a cosmonaut?" Yarov said. "To avoid this, we use only zippers,
Velcro and snaps."
Dressing for space: consider the price
Changeable, operators’ and warming on-board suits cost about $350
apiece to make. A light suit costs about $90 to $95. Camelia A, Camelia SM and
each set of women's lingerie costs $45 to $50 apiece. Socks are worth $3 a
pair.
But the value is not just the garment. Each item is placed in a
sealed plastic bag and comes with a certificate confirming it meets all
spaceflight requirements and was manufactured using exclusive technology. Can
Versace offer that?
