Gordon Cooper in Project Mercury Suit - 1959
Credit: NASA
The spacesuit maybe the ultimate fashion statement: A suit that is both personal spaceship and life support pod, and allows astronauts to work in the harshest of environments. See how NASA's spacesuits evolved in this gallery. HERE: Gordon Cooper, one of NASA’s original seven chosen astronauts chosen in 1959, poses in his Mercury flight suit.
Yuri Gagarin's SK-1 Suit
Credit: Roscosmos/Evgeny A. Sivukhin
On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin ushered in the era of manned spaceflight aboard Vostok 1. During the flight, Gagarin wore an SK-1 pressure suit seen here as he boards his spacecraft.
John Glenn in Project Mercury Suit
Credit: NASA
Astronaut John Glenn, who became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962, in his Mercury suit.
Project Gemini Spacesuit
Credit: NASA
Future moonwalker Neil Armstrong in his Gemini G-2C training suit. Unlike the “soft” Mercury suit, the whole Gemini suit was made to be flexible when pressurized.
Project Gemini Mission Spacesuits
Credit: NASA
Astronauts Gus Grissom, left, and John Young flew the first Gemini mission in March of 1965.
Russia's Sokol Spacesuits
Credit: Lempertz
During launch and landing, Russian cosmonauts wear Sokol spacesuits. The suits date back to early in Russia's space program. Seen HERE: A Soviet-era VA spacecraft and two Sokol spacesuits being sold by Lempertz auction house in Brussels, Belgium on May 7, 2014, could bring in as much as $2.16 million.
First American Spacewalk
Credit: NASA
The Gemini spacesuit was Ed White’s personal spacecraft when he left the Gemini IV capsule for the first American spacewalk on June 3, 1965.
Project Apollo Spacesuit
Credit: NASA
Engineer Bill Peterson fits test pilot Bob Smyth in an Apollo space suit with a Lunar Excursion Module restraint harness during suit testing in 1968.
Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard
Credit: NASA
Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard during suit checks before his trip to the lunar surface in 1971.
Buzz Aldrin on Moonwalk
Credit: NASA
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the surface of the moon – July 20, 1969.
Ejection Escape Suit
Credit: NASA
When the fist shuttle flight, STS-1, lifted off on April 12, 1981, astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen wore the ejection escape suit modeled here.
Floating Free Spacesuit
Credit: NASA
In February 1984, shuttle astronaut Bruce McCandless became the first astronaut to float in space untethered, thanks to a jetpack-like device called the Manned Manuevering Unit, or MMU.
How Astronauts' Space Suits Work (Infographic)
Credit: by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist
Many layers and systems combine to keep astronauts alive in the vacuum of space. See how NASA's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuits work in this Space.com infographic.
"Pumpkin Suit"
Credit: NASA
The familiar orange launch and entry suit worn by shuttle crews, nicknamed the “pumpkin suit” for its color.
Russia's Orlan Spacesuit
Credit: NASA/JSC.
Russia's Orlan spacesuits are bulkier than NASA's EMU versions, with cosmonauts donning them by climbing through an opening in the back. They are used aboard the International Space Station for Russian spacewalks.
Modern Sokol Spacesuits
Credit: NASA/GCTC/Irina Peshkova
Expedition 39 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for his launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Chinese Spacesuits for Launch
Credit: China Ministry of National Defense
China has also developed two spacesuit types, one for launches and landings aboard the country's Shenzhou space capsules (pictured here), and another suit, the Feitian, for spacewalks. HERE: The crew of China's fourth human spaceflight Shenzhou 9 salutes officials after walking out to the launch pad at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on June 16, 2012. The crew includes China's first woman astronaut liu Yang (left), veteran Jing Haipeng, and first-time flyer Liu Wang.
China in Space
Credit: China National Space Administration
China's Feitian spacesuit is seen here in a 2008 video still from China's first spacewalk during the Shenzhou 8 mission. Chinese astronaut Zhai Zhigang is waving the country's flag outside Shenzhou 7 during the Sept. 27, 2008 excursion, China's first spacewalk.
MK III Advanced Spacesuit
Credit: NASA
Dr. Dean Eppler wears the MK III advanced demonstration spacesuit during a 2002 field test of futuristic technology in Arizona.
Future Spacesuit Concept
Credit: NASA
Artist’s concepts depict a futuristic launch and entry suit, left, and spacewalk suit, right.
The Future of Spacesuits
Credit: NASA
With his back to a lunar truck concept, an Earth-bound astronaut captures the scene at Moses Lake, Wash., during a lunar robot demonstration in June 2008.
Prototype Spacesuits
Credit: NASA
Astronauts, engineers and scientist wearing prototype spacesuits, driving prototype lunar rovers and stimulating scientific work this week at Moses Lake, Wash., as part of NASA’s demonstration of concepts for living and working on the lunar surface.
z-1 spacesuit 2
Credit: NASA
The Z-1 spacesuit will potentially be used to explore different planets.
Z-1 Spacesuit Prototype Flexibility Test
Credit: NASA
This new spacesuit prototype from NASA might reinvent the ways astronauts experience space.
Introducing NASA'S Future Spacesuit, the Z-1 (Infographic)
Credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com contributor
Being developed for missions in 2015 and beyond, the Z-1 improves mobility for walks on the moon and Mars.
How NASA's New Z-2 Spacesuit Works (Infographic)
Credit: By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist
NASA's next-generation Z-2 spacesuit prototype is an evolution ahead of its predecessor, the Z-1. See how NASA's futuristic Z-2 spacesuit works in this Space.com infographic.
Trio of Z-2 Spacesuits Under Lights
Credit: NASA Advanced Concepts Lab - POC: Alberto Bertolin
The three proposed designs for NASA's Z-2 spacesuits appear in a lighted environment.
Trio of Z-2 Spacesuits in Darkness
Credit: NASA
The three proposed designs for NASA's Z-2 spacesuits appear in a darkened environment.
'Technology' Spacesuit Design on the Rocks
Credit: NASA
NASA's 'Technology' Z-2 spacesuit design is depicted on some rocks.
