We now have our first look at the spacesuit SpaceX plans to use for its first crewed missions, courtesy of Elon Musk. The SpaceX CEO shared the image via Instagram, revealing that the picture was not a mockup, but an actual shot of a fully functional suit, which could withstand double the pressure of the vacuum of space.
Musk noted that getting the right balance of form and function was challenging, and you can tell from the accents and lines on the suit that it was clearly designed to exude style vs. other spacesuits. It looks svelte and tight to the body, too, which is somewhat like Boeing’s new spacesuit for its first commercial crewed space missions, but with more emphasis on fashionable looks and possibly an even slimmer line.
SpaceX notably chose to develop their own suit for their astronauts in-house, which is different from Boeing’s approach, where it partnered with spacesuit specialist David Clark Company. That’s par for the course for SpaceX, however, which has brought a lot of its design and manufacturing in-house in order to lower costs and achieve greater control over the supply chain.
Musk promised more to follow in the coming days in terms of spacesuit details, so expect additional images, including likely a full-body view reveal at some point. Also, small request for Elon: Make everyday jackets and other apparel inspired by this design and I’d be happy to pick up an item or two.