Lunar Outfitters
Making the Apollo Space Suit
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- $34.99
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- $34.99
Publisher Description
The design processes behind a giant leap for mankind
Neil Armstrong in a space suit on the moon remains an iconic representation of America’s technological ingenuity. Few know that the Model A-7L pressure suit worn by the Apollo 11 astronauts, and the Model A-7LB that replaced it in 1971, originated at ILC Industries (now ILC Dover, LP), an obscure Delaware industrial firm.
Longtime ILC space suit test engineer Bill Ayrey draws on original files and photographs to tell the dramatic story of the company’s role in the Apollo Program. Though respected for its early designs, ILC failed to win NASA’s faith. When the government called for new suit concepts in 1965, ILC had to plead for consideration before NASA gave it a mere six weeks to come up with a radically different design. ILC not only met the deadline but won the contract. That underdog success led to its greatest challenge: winning a race against time to create a suit that would determine the success or failure of the Apollo missions—and life or death for the astronauts.
A fascinating behind-the-scenes history of a vital component of the space program, Lunar Outfitters goes inside the suit that made it possible for human beings to set foot on the moon.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
