Creating spacesuits is an ongoing challenge that has spanned over four decades. This book details the evolution of U. S. spacesuits from their roots in high altitude aviation and vacuum tube development to the present day, with a glimpse into the future.

Author: Kenneth S. Thomas, Harold J. McMann
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Springer
Published: 11/02/2011
Series: Springer Praxis Books
Pages: 472
Weight: 2.45lbs
Size: 9.40h x 6.50w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9781441995650
2nd 2012 Edition

About the Author

As a second generation space engineer, Thomas grew up with U.S. space programs. He worked as a task-manager/engineer on the Shuttle Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU, NASA's current going-out-in-spacesuit-system) program and was a principal investigator on next generational suit. His efforts resulted in his developing an in-depth background on spacesuits. This experience was further supplemented by extensive personal research into spacesuit design.

McMann's career has spanned over 40 years in the area of spacecraft environmental control and spacesuit systems. He joined NASA during Project Mercury and has participated in every U. S. manned space endeavor, including the assembly of the International Space Station. He has been a project engineer, Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suit life support system manager, 0-g aircraft and vacuum chamber test subject, real-time flight support console engineer, and overall EVA hardware manager in NASA's EVA Project Office. Following his retirement from NASA in 1997, he joined Hamilton Sundstrand as a technical specialist in the area of failure analysis and resolution. He retired from Hamilton-Sundstrand in 2002 and continues to act as consultant to NASA and the aerospace industry.