1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:05,919 Elon Musk's SpaceX has already managed to define the esthetic of twenty first century human 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:11,199 space flight with their crew Dragon space suits. It's a certified iconic look. 3 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:17,280 But these shining white star men and women are only the beginning for SpaceX. 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:22,199 What we are looking at isn't even really a space suit, not yet at 5 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:27,480 least. This is the space race. So what's the deal with these SpaceX 6 00:00:27,519 --> 00:00:32,079 suits? They almost look too cool to actually be functional, but that's not 7 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:37,119 the case. These are the most advanced flight suits in the world, and 8 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:43,960 they are spectacularly effective at allowing people to comfortably travel through space, but they 9 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:49,560 are still not space suits. These SpaceX crew Dragon astronauts are wearing what's technically 10 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:55,520 referred to as an IVA suit or intra vehicular activity. This is opposed to 11 00:00:55,560 --> 00:01:00,600 the EVA suit or extra vehicular activity that you see people to actually float around 12 00:01:00,759 --> 00:01:06,840 in outer space. So we need to understand IVA first before we can get 13 00:01:06,879 --> 00:01:11,400 into future potential for SpaceX EVA suits. The IVA can also be referred to 14 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:17,400 as a flight suit because it's only worn while in the process of launching or 15 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:21,439 landing the vehicle, or you can call it a pressure suit because that's the 16 00:01:21,519 --> 00:01:26,359 most important job that this equipment does. It keeps the astronaut pressurized in the 17 00:01:26,359 --> 00:01:30,680 event of a catastrophic failure. In a perfect world, you wouldn't need to 18 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:34,159 wear this suit at all, because the Dragon capsule is already pressurized and has 19 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,280 all of the life support function that you need. But if that ever stopped 20 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:42,319 being the case in midflight, then the crew would be in bad trouble very 21 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:47,760 quickly. In nineteen seventy one, the Soviet Union lost a crew of three 22 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:52,239 men on the so US eleven mission after their capsule depressurized on the return to 23 00:01:52,359 --> 00:01:56,560 Earth. This was due to a valve that was damaged at stage separation, 24 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,599 and the crew suffocated within one minute of the pressure. It was a rough 25 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:05,760 way to go, so even today, no matter how much we might trust 26 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,960 our vehicle and its technology, we suit up. Once the ship is coasting 27 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:14,400 in orbit, it's as safe as it's going to get, so astronauts can 28 00:02:14,439 --> 00:02:19,199 go suit off, but during ascent and descent maneuvers we expect anything that can 29 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:23,840 go wrong will go wrong. The modern IVA suit has three main jobs, 30 00:02:23,879 --> 00:02:28,680 providing fresh air, maintaining temperature, and maintaining pressure. It can keep a 31 00:02:28,719 --> 00:02:31,879 person alive in the vacuum of space, but again that's only for a worst 32 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:38,000 case scenario. When SpaceX was developing their Dragon capsule, they knew that the 33 00:02:38,159 --> 00:02:42,280 end goal for this vehicle was going to be human space flight, which meant 34 00:02:42,319 --> 00:02:46,400 that a pressure suit was going to be necessary at some point, and Elon 35 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:51,599 Musk wanted to make sure that the astronauts who flew SpaceX would leave a lasting 36 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:57,879 impression on the world. So Elon actually hired a Hollywood costume designer named Jose 37 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,560 Fernandez, who has a long resume of making superhero outfits for high budget Marvel 38 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:07,840 and DC films. Jose didn't know anything about human space flight. He hadn't 39 00:03:07,879 --> 00:03:14,400 even heard of SpaceX or Elon Musk until they hired him. Elon wanted Jose 40 00:03:14,599 --> 00:03:19,439 to create the tuxedo of flight suits, something that everyone would look their absolute 41 00:03:19,439 --> 00:03:23,199 best in. It had to give the astronaut a sleek and well defined figure, 42 00:03:23,479 --> 00:03:28,120 like a superhero. This is in contrast to the old Space Shuttle flight 43 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,960 suits that made everyone who wore them look like a walking pumpkin. So the 44 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:36,919 design of the SpaceX suit came first, and then Elon had enough faith in 45 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,000 his technical crew that they would be able to reverse engineer it into a fully 46 00:03:40,039 --> 00:03:46,479 functional iv A suit that would be approved by NASA. That's why every crew 47 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:50,360 that has ever flown a Dragon capsule has looked like they are about to walk 48 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,400 onto a movie set. They all look perfect, and that's largely due to 49 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:58,960 the fact that, just like a tuxedo, every SpaceX suit is tailored for 50 00:03:59,039 --> 00:04:03,159 the individual astronaut. The suits are all fabricated in the SpaceX Hawthorne, California 51 00:04:03,199 --> 00:04:09,439 headquarters, alongside the Falcon rockets and Merlin engines. This might seem like pure 52 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:13,520 vanity, but the precise fit also has a function to it. By aligning 53 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:16,399 the joints of the suit precisely with the physical joints of the human body in 54 00:04:16,439 --> 00:04:20,920 places like these shoulders, elbows, and knees, it gives the astronaut much 55 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:26,800 greater range of motion and control when the suit is pressurized. Just try and 56 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,360 imagine for a second what it would be like to wear air tight clothing. 57 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,759 It's like walking around in an inflated balloon suit. The bigger the bag year 58 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:38,319 the fit, the less you're going to be able to actually move around. 59 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:44,360 Then SpaceX engineers were able to achieve that sleek, minimalist look by eliminating all 60 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,639 of the exterior valves and hoses that you would typically see on this type of 61 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:54,399 pressure suit. Even looking at another modern suit design like the one Chinese tyconots 62 00:04:54,399 --> 00:04:58,360 wear on their trips to the Tiangong Space Station, you can see the big 63 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,319 main valve in the center of the chest, then further down the torso. 64 00:05:01,399 --> 00:05:05,439 On the right they have external wires and electronics. On the left is a 65 00:05:05,519 --> 00:05:10,759 hose attachment and that connects into the life support box that they have to carry 66 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:15,759 with them in their hand. So how did SpaceX avoid all of that hardware? 67 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,000 Well, the first thing that they did was design the suit to be 68 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:24,160 fully integrated with the systems of the Dragon capsule. So when the crew takes 69 00:05:24,199 --> 00:05:28,519 their seats inside the capsule, they simply attach an umbilical cable from the chair 70 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,279 to a port on the thigh of their suit. This one connection supplies power, 71 00:05:32,639 --> 00:05:36,920 air, and a pressure ant line into the suit. Astronauts breathe a 72 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:43,720 custom mixture of oxygen and nitrogen that is managed by dragons onboard computer. You 73 00:05:43,759 --> 00:05:46,759 don't want too much nitrogen because it can form bubbles in the blood during pressure 74 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:51,639 changes. The air mixture is chilled to maintain a comfortable temperature for the astronaut 75 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:58,040 even during high heat reentries. The astronaut's helmet has built in sensors that monitor 76 00:05:58,079 --> 00:06:01,920 pressure and temperature. These data into the automated computer, so there's no need 77 00:06:01,959 --> 00:06:08,399 for manual adjustment by the astronaut. That eliminates the need for any external valves 78 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:12,959 on the suit, and by eliminating all of this excess hardware, SpaceX not 79 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,720 only makes their suit better looking, they also make it much easier for the 80 00:06:15,759 --> 00:06:19,839 crew to put on and take off. The old style flight suits came in 81 00:06:19,959 --> 00:06:24,920 multiple segments that had to be fitted together, and it took several people to 82 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:29,680 help get an astronaut suited up. That's not so badgering the preflight operation on 83 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:32,279 Earth, but they have to get back into those suits before leaving the ISS, 84 00:06:32,759 --> 00:06:36,600 and that means doing it all in zero gravity, with gloves and helmets 85 00:06:36,759 --> 00:06:43,279 and stuff floating around everywhere. The SpaceX suit is a much more simplified procedure. 86 00:06:43,439 --> 00:06:46,639 It's a single piece jumpsuit kind of design, so the astronaut goes in 87 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:50,720 through the pants that open up along a zippered inseam. Then they just kind 88 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:54,959 of stand up into the suit, step into the boots, and then zip 89 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:59,439 the pants back up and they're good to go. There are more zippers along 90 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,439 the four sections so that the astronaut can quickly slip their real hand out of 91 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:06,360 the glove to do more precise work. Though, the SpaceX gloves do offer 92 00:07:06,399 --> 00:07:11,000 a lot of dexterity, and they allow the crew to use the iPad style 93 00:07:11,079 --> 00:07:15,279 touchscreen controls on board the Dragon. So these are fantastic suits and they are 94 00:07:15,399 --> 00:07:19,040 perfect for the job they were intended for. But SpaceX needs to push their 95 00:07:19,079 --> 00:07:24,279 capability even further. It's time to leave the capsule if you dare. We're 96 00:07:24,279 --> 00:07:27,399 not talking about Major Tom here. The person stepping through the door of the 97 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:31,040 Dragon capsule into the void of outer space is going to be Jared Isaacman. 98 00:07:31,399 --> 00:07:35,319 You might remember him as the leader of the inspiration for Crew, the one 99 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:40,279 they made the Netflix show about. Jared has a big plan for his next 100 00:07:40,399 --> 00:07:44,959 SpaceX flight. It's called Polaris Down, and it's going to push the SpaceX 101 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:49,600 Dragon capsule and its systems to the absolute limit. The goal for Polaris Down 102 00:07:49,759 --> 00:07:55,120 is to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown, reaching out to the Van 103 00:07:55,199 --> 00:08:00,519 Allen radiation Belt that exists on the border of Earth's magnetic field. At an 104 00:08:00,519 --> 00:08:05,079 altitude of seven hundred kilometers above sea level, the crew will conduct a spacewalk. 105 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:11,480 They're going extra vehicular. According to Isaacman, SpaceX is developing an EVA 106 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:16,319 suit that will be an upgraded version of their current IVA suit. That's why 107 00:08:16,399 --> 00:08:20,120 we had to explain the IVA first, because this new SpaceX suit is just 108 00:08:20,199 --> 00:08:24,160 a beefed up version of what they already have. Now, this is an 109 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:28,439 important step to take because just like the IVA suit was crucial to the development 110 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:33,879 of the Dragon vehicle, an EVA suit is going to be just as important 111 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:39,759 to Starship. If SpaceX is going to follow through with Elon's whole Mars City 112 00:08:39,919 --> 00:08:43,440 end game, then they are going to need a lot of space suits, 113 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:48,240 and those need to be capable and sturdy enough to keep people alive in some 114 00:08:48,519 --> 00:08:54,440 very extreme conditions. So Polaris don is going to serve as a halfway points, 115 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:58,919 an opportunity to use their existing suit design to test some expanded capabilities. 116 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,240 If you look at the render from Polaris Down, it shows the existing Starman's 117 00:09:03,279 --> 00:09:09,200 suit floating outside of the Dragon capsule with the umbilical line attached. Now, 118 00:09:09,519 --> 00:09:13,120 this is a pretty basic concept art and it's not fully indicative of what the 119 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:18,039 SpaceX EVA suit will actually look like. What this does seem to indicate is 120 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:24,200 that the umbilical connection will carry over from the IVA to EVA operation, and 121 00:09:24,519 --> 00:09:26,679 that does make a lot of sense for now. If we look at the 122 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:31,720 typical astronaut performing a spacewalk at the ISS, they wear their life support system 123 00:09:31,759 --> 00:09:35,240 on their back, and that allows them to cover a lot of ground and 124 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:41,840 maneuver freely around the exterior of the station. That's not necessary for Polaris down 125 00:09:41,919 --> 00:09:45,480 and it's going to add a lot of extra bulk to the EVA suit. 126 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:48,840 We can imagine that the Polarist Don spacewalk will have a lot more in common 127 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:54,039 with NASA's Project Gemini from the early nineteen sixties. These were the first missions 128 00:09:54,039 --> 00:10:01,720 where astronauts left the capsule and floated freely in outer space. Those first EVAs 129 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:05,679 were supported by an umbilical connection to the spacecraft. The cord was made from 130 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:11,039 an external layer of gold coated nylon with silicone rubber hose inside. The umbilical 131 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:15,200 had a tensile strength of three hundred and fifty pounds, and there was an 132 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:20,320 additional nylon tether line that had a strength of one thousand pounds, so obviously 133 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:26,440 SpaceX would need to make their existing umbilical connection a lot stronger and more secure, 134 00:10:26,759 --> 00:10:31,080 but the concept of using this to support a spacewalk is totally sound. 135 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:35,679 Another major factor that needs to be considered on a spacewalk is how the astronaut 136 00:10:35,799 --> 00:10:39,879 is going to maneuver in a vacuum. On most Iss spacewalks, the astronauts 137 00:10:39,879 --> 00:10:45,639 have used a system of tethers and help from the robotic Canada Arm to maneuver 138 00:10:45,799 --> 00:10:50,000 around the exterior of the station, and they also have use of a space 139 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:56,240 jetpack that fires nitrogen gas thrusters to fly around. Polaris Done won't have a 140 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:58,720 robotic arm to help them out, and the jet pack seems a bit bulky 141 00:10:58,799 --> 00:11:03,960 and overkill for the mission. Going back to Project Gemini, you'll notice the 142 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:09,879 astronaut holding a weird contraption in their hand that is actually an air pressure gun 143 00:11:11,159 --> 00:11:13,919 that they used to maneuver around, and it seems like the kind of thing 144 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:18,679 that SpaceX might be able to develop for Polaris Don, something that they could 145 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:22,799 easily make a lot smaller for the modern day. You can imagine that Iron 146 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:28,200 Man style hand thrusters would be pretty effective for this kind of thing. The 147 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,399 most important thing that SpaceX needs to consider with their new EVA suit design is 148 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:37,159 going to be radiation protection. Because Polaris Down is intending to conduct their spacewalk 149 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:41,279 at such an extreme altitude of seven hundred kilometers, they are going to be 150 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:46,360 in close proximity to the inner reaches of the Van Allen radiation belt, so 151 00:11:46,639 --> 00:11:50,039 their exposure to cosmic radiation is going to be a lot higher than what is 152 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:56,879 experienced at the ISS Down at around four hundred kilometers altitude. So going outside 153 00:11:56,879 --> 00:12:01,559 the capsule, even for a short time in those conditions could be physically dangerous 154 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:05,879 to an astronaut if they aren't well protected. The current IVA suit likely doesn't 155 00:12:05,879 --> 00:12:11,720 have any radiation shielding at all, because you wouldn't need it you're already inside 156 00:12:11,759 --> 00:12:18,279 a shielded spaceship, but there are opportunities for SpaceX to incorporate effective radiation protection 157 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:22,360 into their existing suit design. If you want the best possible material for blocking 158 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:26,960 cosmic rays, it needs to contain a lot of hydrogen atoms, so a 159 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:33,279 good candidate would be a plastic polymer called polyethylene. This material can be woven 160 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:37,240 into a matrix of threads that could then become a protective layer inside the shell 161 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:41,919 of an EVA suit. This wouldn't add very much bulk to the design, 162 00:12:41,159 --> 00:12:46,600 but it would offer a lot more protection from the elements. Based on what 163 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:50,840 SpaceX is able to learn from this first EVA test on Polaris Don, they're 164 00:12:50,879 --> 00:12:54,120 going to be able to move on to the next step of developing a dedicated 165 00:12:54,120 --> 00:13:00,399 extra vehicular activity suit, which will then feed into their ultimate goal of yading 166 00:13:00,399 --> 00:13:05,039 an interplanetary activity suit that future settlers will use to colonize Mars.