Elon Musk Reveals SpaceX’s New, Functioning Spacesuit

When you think of spacesuits, you probably picture the Michelin-man-style bulky numbers that astronauts wear on spacewalks. But both Boeing and now SpaceX have designed slimmer spacesuits meant to be worn inside of spacecraft. These don’t have the ballistic protection (required for meteorite particles) that spacewalk-capable suits possess, but they are pressurized and will protect the wearer in case the vessel depressurizes. Early this morning/late last night, Elon Musk Instagrammed this image of SpaceX ‘s newly-designed suit: Here’s Boeing’s suit , meant to be worn by astronauts in their CST-100 Starliner : The SpaceX suit is more stylish, but the Boeing suit’s helmet clearly offers better peripheral vision. I also have to laud Boeing’s designers for having the supreme self-restraint to not place the pressurization ports directly where the wearer’s nipples are. I wouldn’t have been able to help myself.

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Elon Musk Reveals SpaceX’s New, Functioning Spacesuit

Engineer at Boeing admits trying to sell space secrets to Russians

Enlarge / The “high bay” at Boeing’s Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, California. A Boeing employee sold documents from the plant to an FBI undercover agent posing as a Russian intelligence agent. Gregory Allen Justice, a 49-year-old engineer living in Culver City, Calif., has pleaded guilty to charges of attempted economic espionage and attempted violation of the Export Control Act. Justice, who according to his father worked for Boeing Satellite Systems in El Segundo, Calif., was arrested last July after selling technical documents about satellite systems to someone he believed to be a Russian intelligence agent. Instead, he sold the docs to an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation employee. The sting was part of a joint operation by the FBI and the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations. The documents provided by Justice to the undercover agent included information on technology on the US Munitions List, meaning they were regulated by government International Trade in Arms regulations (ITAR). “In exchange for providing these materials during a series of meeting between February and July of 2016, Justice sought and received thousands of dollars in cash payments,” a Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement. “During one meeting, Justice and the undercover agent discussed developing a relationship like one depicted on the television show ‘The Americans.'” Just before he was arrested, Justice offered to take the agent on a tour of the facility where he worked—where he told the agent “all military satellites were built,” according Justice’s plea agreement. Read 1 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Engineer at Boeing admits trying to sell space secrets to Russians

Boeing’s Starliner space taxi will have over 600 3D-printed parts

Boeing may have pushed the Starliner’s first trip to the ISS back to 2018, but we’re sure to get more details about the space taxi between now and then. Reuters reports the spacecraft will pack more than 600 3D-printed parts thanks to Boeing’s recent deal with Oxford Performance Materials. Printed with a plastic called PEKK, the parts are expected to perform well under the stress of spaceflight and extreme temperatures. What’s more, the material offers both weight and cost savings for parts that are typically made out of metal and other plastics. Oxford says PEKK is strong as strong as aluminum, but it weighs “significantly” less. The company says its plastic is also fire and radiation resistant in addition to being able to withstand temperatures that range from minus 300 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Boeing will use the PEKK material for components in a number of areas, including brackets for the propulsion system and parts for the air revitalization system. Boeing is currently constructing three Starliner capsules under a $4.2 billion contract from NASA. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is also building a space taxi capsule with its $2.6 contract with the US space agency. While Boeing expects to launch a test flight in June 2018 with a manned mission to follow in August, SpaceX also eyes a 2018 launch for its Dragon capsule. Of course, when Boeing sends a Starliner into space, its crew will be outfitted with fancy new spacesuits . Source: Reuters

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Boeing’s Starliner space taxi will have over 600 3D-printed parts

Boeing’s New Space Suit Is Straight Outta SciFi

After years of lumpy and Tron-esque spacesuit concepts, we’re finally getting closer to the slick beautiful designs proposed way back in the ’60s. The recently released Boeing spacesuit is designed as a model for what NASA astronauts aboard the proposed Boeing Starliner spacecraft would wear on their 2018 trip to the International Space Station.  Even fully loaded with tools and accessories this iteration would shave off more than 10 pounds compared with the current gear, and it would offer several notable improvements. Chief among them is the absolutely striking similarity to the suits worn in 2001: A Space Oddssey . SpaceX has been doing some cool stuff and all, but as far as I’m concerned, NOW we’re ready to start talking about space exploration.   Former astronaut Chris Ferguson modeling the Starliner suit (2017) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) The Boeing suit weighs in at just 20 pounds with tons of streamlined fit advances like zippered joints and lighter ergonomic materials. Thinner gloves with conductive tips would help with fine motor movement and connectivity. The helmet seems like a gentle nod to earlier Apollo days, while the lighter grippier boots were developed with Reebok for fancier (and decidedly modern) footwork.  There’s more to a successful space flight than dope gear, but the level of elegance and flexibility in this suit is thrilling. Not to put too fine a point on it, but SpaceX still has a lot to beat in the private space race. Former astronaut Chris Ferguson modeling the Starliner suit

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Boeing’s New Space Suit Is Straight Outta SciFi

The Most Detailed Saturn V Cutaway We’ve Ever Seen

NASA’s Saturn V remains the only launch vehicle in history to catapult humans beyond low-Earth orbit. In this beautiful cutaway – what appears to be an original diagram from Boeing’s Space Division – the legendary rocket’s internal workings are laid bare in captivating detail. Read more…        

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The Most Detailed Saturn V Cutaway We’ve Ever Seen