Suited for Spacewalks
adapted from NASA
Following Gemini, the Apollo program added a new dimension in spacesuit design because actual spacewalks, on the surface of the Moon, were now to
occur for the first time. As with Mercury and Gemini space garments, Apollo suits had to serve as a backup pressure system to the space capsule. Besides
allowing flexibility in the shoulder and arm areas, they also had to permit movements of the legs and waist. Astronauts needed to be able to bend and stoop
to pick up samples on the Moon. Suits had to function both in microgravity and in the one-sixth gravity of the Moon's surface. Furthermore, when walking on
the Moon, Apollo astronauts needed the flexibility to roam freely without dragging a cumbersome combination oxygen line and tether. A self-contained
portable life-support system was needed.
The Apollo spacesuit began with a garment that used water as a coolant. The garment, similar to long johns but laced with a network of thin walled plastic
tubing, circulated cooling water around the astronaut to prevent overheating. A multi-layered pressure garment was worn on top of the cooling suit. The
innermost layer of this garment was a comfort layer of lightweight nylon with fabric ventilation ducts. On top of this was a layer of neoprene-coated nylon
surrounded by a nylon restraint layer. This layer contained the pressure inside the suit. Improved mobility was achieved by bellow-like joints of formed rubber
with built-in restraint cables at the waist, elbows, shoulders, wrist, knees, and ankles. On top of the pressure layer were five layers of aluminized Mylar for
heat protection, mixed with four spacing layers of non-woven Dacron.
Above these were two layers of material for additional thermal protection and a non-flammable layer of Teflon coated in a fibrous cloth. The outermost
Select the correct answer.
Why does the author most likely include the details in the last paragraph?
A.
to show what the astronauts learned from their mission to the Moon
to explain why the astronauts needed the new spacesuit design
B.
C.
to explain the use of the portable life-support system on the Moon