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back to article NASA previews future astronaut threads

NASA is banking on a new lead contractor to design the next generation of space suits worn by astronauts on future moon missions. Oceaneering International of Houston has been awarded a government contract worth up to $745m to design, develop, test, and produce two new designs of space suits by September 2014. Astronauts will …

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  1. Chris G

    Lunar Troopers

    I'm surprised DARPA doesn't have an angle on this, they are in to everything else. I can imagine something like the predator cloaking suit for moon explorers so the loonies (Lunar Indigenes) are less likely to see american Lunar troopers looking to sequestrate their oil in the name of democracy.

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Alien

    Did they just retrieve the blue spacesuit from the Discovery?

    after all, that was the only one not used in either 2001 or 2010...

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  3. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Aw man

    As an employee of one of their competitors I feel obliged to say that our ROVs are better than theirs. ner ner.

    You can see why they'd choose a subsea engineering company to do this, though- lots of experience working with huge pressure differences (though in the opposite direction) and harsh environments requiring air, clean water, communications and long-term incarceration between excursions.

    **Gets on at business acquisition to get us the contract for the new space shuttle**

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  4. Joe Cooper

    DARPA

    NASA is a lot like DARPA, but without so much of the 'mad' part in 'mad scientist'.

    They spend a big portion of their budget on research, sometimes the same things that DAPRA is doing. Among their projects are scramjets and methane rockets, the former of which DARPA actually is into.

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  5. Andy Barber
    Boffin

    @Chris G

    Whilst it might look a bit like the suites worn in Star Wars (S#!t film the 1st time, so I avoided all but episode six; it was even more stilly/stupid,) The Science Fiction writers of SW, had to come up with something that looked plausible. Looks like SW had a more reliable suit; than the ones use in 2001, A Space Oddity!

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  6. Charles Manning

    Need wider appeal

    If NASA really wants to be attractive to future generations then they need to improve their image.

    They need the gangsta suit: one where you can put the helmet on backwards.

    They need a pink one coz they don't want to shut out the girls. Oh.. and a black one for the emos and goths too.

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  7. Adrian

    @Chris G

    DARPA would be there if it included killer robots. They aren't interested in humans.

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  8. Torben Mogensen

    I prefer this design:

    http://www.dailygalaxy.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/03/27/spacesuit_2.jpg

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  9. Charlie van Becelaere
    Gates Horns

    Hmm

    Silly way to spell "Labour" Day. Perhaps this is an American attempt at efficiency? Drop supposedly extraneous (vestigial!?) vowels to save on paper and ink?

    We cannot afford an extraneous vowel gap!

    (billg just because he's evil)

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  10. Dave
    Happy

    Weapons

    Now wait a minute. Maybe DARPA should be involved. Those new astronauts, while they're battling the loonies (Lunar Indigenes), they'll need some decent killer robots, some good armour on those space suits, and some decent weapon systems. ;-)

    Dave

    P.S. Mine's the one with the camouflage colouration and the Kevlar helmet.

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  11. K Newman

    Apollo space suits

    The Apollo A7L and A7LB suits were made by ILC Dover, not United Technologies.

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