Mark V Pressure Suit (developmental) (USA)

This object is not part of the Cooper Hewitt's permanent collection. It was able to spend time at the museum on loan from National Air & Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution as part of Tools: Extending Our Reach.

This garment is a demonstration model of B. F. Goodrich’s Mark V pressure suit, originally designed for the NASA Apollo Program of the early 1960s. Engineers were tasked with designing systems that withstood internal pressures and still allowed astronauts the necessary flexibility to do meaningful work. The suit’s right arm, with a large shoulder and elbow hinges, shows particular design developments being tested at the time, including a large, exposed device that guides a restraint cable and main¬tains internal oxygen pressure. The oversize shoulder joint provided greater mobility than previous models, though three astronauts sitting side by side in the spacecraft was impossible. The torso has a diagonal zipper for flexibilty in the torso and hips, and there are pressure gauges on the left arm and left leg. The olive green cover layer is whip¬stitched into lacing cord attached to the bearing allowing free movement and no snagging.

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Tools: Extending Our Reach.