Today I found out Playtex the bra company made the Apollo space suits

**HenryDorsetCase** · 25th February 2016, 07:37

http://www.wired.com/2011/02/pl_spacesuits_showdown/

Which I found to be very interesting.

I thought I would share. I am a fan of hard science and manned spaceflight.

**oldrider** · 25th February 2016, 08:04

How very uplifting!

**TheDemonLord** · 25th February 2016, 08:19

Well, it confirms that Astronaughts need a lot of support.

**jonbuoy** · 25th February 2016, 09:20

Love the whole Apollo era. Those guys had some balls. All highly intelligent people who knew the huge risks they were taking and did it anyway. Goes for the engineers and the pilots. Pity we can't stop lobbing bombs at each other and concentrate the entire military budgets of the whole world into space technology. I went to Kennedy space centre a few years ago- seemed geared up to take a lot more tourists than there actually were taking the time to visit it. It almost felt like there was a lack of interest a forgotten era. Hard to believe really.

**Tazz** · 25th February 2016, 09:46

Originally Posted by jonbuoy

Love the whole Apollo era. Those guys had some balls. All highly intelligent people who knew the huge risks they were taking and did it anyway. Goes for the engineers and the pilots. Pity we can't stop lobbing bombs at each other and concentrate the entire military budgets of the whole world into space technology. I went to Kennedy space centre a few years ago- seemed geared up to take a lot more tourists than there actually were taking the time to visit it. It almost felt like there was a lack of interest a forgotten era. Hard to believe really.

There was a nice little write up on some aspects of the Soviet space program on the BBC website last week. Don't have the link handy but probably something you'd find interesting.

**Banditbandit** · 25th February 2016, 09:50

Well that would stop them flopping about in zero gravity ..

**Swoop** · 25th February 2016, 14:34

Have a look at the generation of development that went into the pressure suits that high-altitude test pilots had to wear, before space suits were thought of.
Made on antique sewing machines, exceptionally tight fitting, tailor made equipment.

Then you had to learn how to breathe in it. Backwards.

On the ground (do it now) you have to suck air into your lungs. Do nothing and it expels all by itself. With the pressure suit, air is forced into your lungs blowing you up like a balloon. You have to contract your muscles to forcibly expel the air.
Whilst attempting to fly the "latest" hotrod of the skies - which was attempting to kill you in many various ways.

**Banditbandit** · 25th February 2016, 14:53

Originally Posted by Swoop

Have a look at the generation of development that went into the pressure suits that high-altitude test pilots had to wear, before space suits were thought of.
Made on antique sewing machines, exceptionally tight fitting, tailor made equipment.

Then you had to learn how to breathe in it. Backwards.

On the ground (do it now) you have to suck air into your lungs. Do nothing and it expels all by itself. With the pressure suit, air is forced into your lungs blowing you up like a balloon. You have to contract your muscles to forcibly expel the air.
Whilst attempting to fly the "latest" hotrod of the skies - which was attempting to kill you in many various ways.

Someone's always going to come along and kll off an amusing idea (space suits built by a lingerie company) with facts and figures ..

**gammaguy** · 25th February 2016, 15:28

Typical internet...

Because there is no body language,when someone comments on a bra company making space suits,we get confused

Is it an opening gambit for scientific gee wizzery and technical one upmanship,or pun based tittery and mammary sniggery?

Maybe a picture of a hot astronaut chick wearing a bra or a picture of some crusty old guy astronaut(fully clothed) digging up a moon rock would have removed any confusion

Just saying...

**Banditbandit** · 25th February 2016, 16:16

How about a compromise ??

**mashman** · 25th February 2016, 17:29

Ah, that's why they never go tits up.

**Swoop** · 25th February 2016, 17:52

Originally Posted by Banditbandit

... facts and figures ..

Well, someone has to put some of those out there, just to counterbalance the tinfoil-hat club's verbal diarrhea.

**oldrider** · 25th February 2016, 17:59

Originally Posted by jonbuoy

Love the whole Apollo era. Those guys had some balls. All highly intelligent people who knew the huge risks they were taking and did it anyway. Goes for the engineers and the pilots. Pity we can't stop lobbing bombs at each other and concentrate the entire military budgets of the whole world into space technology. I went to Kennedy space centre a few years ago- seemed geared up to take a lot more tourists than there actually were taking the time to visit it. It almost felt like there was a lack of interest a forgotten era. Hard to believe really.

The space program was great for injecting new money into the system but it didn't kill enough people so they redirected the money back into war - problem sorted!

**Ocean1** · 25th February 2016, 18:16

Originally Posted by oldrider

The space program was great for injecting new money into the system but it didn't kill enough people so they redirected the money back into war - problem sorted!

What system?

Post-Apollo NASA had it's budget dramatically slashed.

A decade later someone cobbled up a budget to put together another manned lunar landing, it amounted to US$14 per American family.

And America hasn't seen $14 as a worthwhile investment since.

**Voltaire** · 25th February 2016, 18:30

Originally Posted by oldrider

The space program was great for injecting new money into the system but it didn't kill enough people so they redirected the money back into war - problem sorted!

Totally not true, I had one of these.

How about the abandoned USSR Shuttle, sitting in a large shed for years and years.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/scie...?frame=3349898