NASA Allows Public To Vote On Suit Design For Upcoming Mars Simulations, Choose Between 'Biomimicry,' 'Technology,' Or 'Trends In Society'
ByIt would appear NASA has been following Oregon football, Baylor basketball, Under Armour, and the rest of today's athletic fashions based off the three suit designs on which they've allowed the public to vote. The most popular one will be worn by astronauts during the upcoming Mars simulations at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, NBC reported.
None of the designs boast the classic white and red suit worn by nearly every astronaut who's worked for NASA. None of the suits even have white. All have a flashy, bioluminescent layout on their centers. Based on their extra back and neck support, it also would appear the suits were designed for NFL linebackers.
Each of the suits has a theme. "Biomimicry" is a bluish gray color meant to simulate the adaptations enabling aquatic creatures to survive in harsh environments. The theme of "Technology" is in the name. It's threaded with a lighter gray and a turquoise middle that resembles a person. The last one, "Trends in Society," is supposed to simulate the look of future dress. In my opinion, it'll finish last. Already, 7,000 votes have been cast since the polls opened Monday morning. My vote: Biomimicry.
Perhaps NASA was inspired by the consistent press generated by commercial space ventures from Virgin Galactic and Space X or by Uwingu's (run by a current NASA employee) successful fundraisers, which sell the naming rights of Mars craters and other space entities. Whatever the case, the suits will only be used in training simulations. Some of their current features (such as the bio-lights) wouldn't be necessary on Mars, where conditions will be harsh and every piece of armory counts.
"A Mars-ready suit will be designed solely for function, not form," Daniel Huot, a NASA spokesman, told NBC.
Designing the new suits (called the Z-2, or the upgrade to the Z-1) was extra exciting for those at the space agency because, as Huot put it, they "haven't had to design a spacesuit to operate in a surface environment since we went to the moon."