Spacefaring Garments

[u/Teeteegone]

[u/guitarenthusiast1s]

I would expect all spacesuits to be multi-layered, but rigid joints are bulky, and it doesn't look like there's any bulk in these around the joints.

unless these are supposed to use some technology that doesn't require rigid joints?

and what kind of shielding are you talking about? ionizing radiation?

[u/Street-Conclusion-99 → u/guitarenthusiast1s]

Spacesuits don’t usually have rigid joints, likely for weight reasons. It’s typically a rubber garment strapped together with something called the restraint layer (prevents it from ballooning outwards) this makes it difficult to move in, like inflating a surgical glove before doing surgery, but it’s industry standard for now

In the future we might see a switch to mechanical counter pressure garments, which exert the needed pressure without using an atmosphere (like a tight compression garment), but the tech isn’t quite there yet

Yea the shielding is for ionizing radiation, but also thermal radiation (insulation), but the thin layers stacked on top of each other function as a rudimentary whipple shield to halt micrometeors

[u/guitarenthusiast1s → u/Street-Conclusion-99]

I'm pretty sure the new suits (that were being developed by collins I think?) have rigid joints.

where do you get your info from? have you worked with spacesuits?

also, I don't expect suits to provide any protection from ionizing radiation, I don't think it's possible to meet both mobility and shielding requirements; the physics don't allow it

[u/HeinousTugboat → u/guitarenthusiast1s]

These ones?

They do, in fact, provide some protection against radiation, too.

[u/guitarenthusiast1s → u/HeinousTugboat]

yep, those ones; you can see that the torso, hips, and shoulders are rigid. it looks like the elbows are rigid too.

and tissue paper also provides some protection against radiation, but not enough.

ps - I'd like to put a reminder here that rediquette dictates that comments should only be downvoted if they do not contribute to the discussion

[u/HeinousTugboat → u/guitarenthusiast1s]

It will also protect against radiation levels that are 150 times greater than one receives while on Earth.

Pretty solid tissue paper.

For reference, the ISS sees about 30x the radiation of the surface according to the ESA.

[u/guitarenthusiast1s → u/HeinousTugboat]

that's not enough for long term cosmic ray exposure or any significant solar event

[u/HeinousTugboat → u/guitarenthusiast1s]

It.. was enough for NASA to accept the proposal? I don't really understand your point.

also, I don't expect suits to provide any protection from ionizing radiation, I don't think it's possible to meet both mobility and shielding requirements; the physics don't allow it

The same suits you referenced do, in fact, provide a decent amount of protection from ionizing radiation. Is it "enough"? Enough for what? A couple hours in open space? A week sleeping in the suit in orbit? Clearly the ones you referenced provide enough protection for Moonwalks.

[u/guitarenthusiast1s → u/HeinousTugboat]

yep, exactly.

they're fine for spacewalks on the order of hours (which is true for pretty much any space suit)

[u/HeinousTugboat → u/guitarenthusiast1s]

Okay, and OP's suits are explicitly for short exposures and primarily ship-internal usage. So.. the amount of shielding the AxEMUs have would be fine.

[u/guitarenthusiast1s → u/HeinousTugboat]

agreed, I'm not the one who had an issue with "the lack of overall sheilding".

that would be /u/Street-Conclusion-99

as expressed here

[u/HeinousTugboat → u/guitarenthusiast1s]

As I quoted a moment ago, you asserted that physics don't allow it. Clearly they do. That's all. Street-Conclusion-99 even mentioned Unobtanium happily being able to bridge the gap, so physics wasn't even really part of the conversation to begin with.

[u/guitarenthusiast1s → u/HeinousTugboat]

well, if physics ain't part of the equation then might as well have forcefields and not even need suits

[u/HeinousTugboat → u/guitarenthusiast1s]

ps - I'd like to put a reminder here that rediquette dictates that comments should only be downvoted if they do not contribute to the discussion

It also dictates explaining your edits. :-)

[u/guitarenthusiast1s → u/HeinousTugboat]

I did: ps means "post script", ie. an edit