![]() An astronaut wearing the ACES suit prior to the launch of STS-130 | |
Type | Full pressure IVA suit |
---|---|
Manufacturer | David Clark Company[1] |
Operating pressure | 3.5 psi (24 kPa)[1] |
Mass | 92 lb (42 kg)[1] |
Life support | 10 minutes[1] |
Derived from | USAF Model S1034[1] |
Derivatives | Constellation Space Suit Orion Crew Survival System |
Used for | Space Shuttle |
The Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES), or "pumpkin suit",[2] is a full pressure suit that Space Shuttle crews began wearing after STS-65, for the ascent and entry portions of flight. The suit is a direct descendant of the U.S. Air Force high-altitude pressure suits worn by the two-man crews of the SR-71 Blackbird, pilots of the U-2 and X-15, and Gemini pilot-astronauts, and the Launch Entry Suits (LES) worn by NASA astronauts starting on the STS-26 flight, the first flight after the Challenger disaster. The suit is manufactured by the David Clark Company of Worcester, Massachusetts. Cosmetically the suit is very similar to the LES. ACES was first used in 1994.
US
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