Lunar Outfitters: Making the Apollo Space Suit

Ayrey, a testing lab manager for the textile manufacturer International Latex Corporation Industries, provides a pleasing insider’s look at the space suits ILC constructed for NASA’s Apollo program. He explains that the Apollo space suit grew out of the stiff pressure suits created for early 20th-century pilots who flew unpressurized planes at high altitudes. ILC’s experience making pressure helmets for the U.S. Air Force formed the foundation for its space suit work, but it was sometimes an uphill battle for the company, with its occasionally laissez-faire culture, to fit into NASA’s highly bureaucratic structure. But, Ayrey notes, the dedication and craftsmanship of ILC’s staff meshed well with the attention to detail and fit each suit required. Ayrey’s details fascinate: made from 15 layers of materials, each suit was custom fitted to its wearer, right down to gloves made from molds of the specific astronaut’s hands. Suit testing included an x-ray to be sure no pins had been left behind while the suits were being sewn—a critical suit check still done today. Black and white photos and engineering design diagrams add helpful visual detail to the text. This accessible, anecdote-packed history will please many an astronomy buff. (Oct.)