anned Lunar Program, 1967-1974
Spacesuit, c. 1968: Prototype pressure suit designed for extra-vehicular activity on the surface of the moon.
“Krechet” (Rhtxtn: Gyrfalcon) pressure suit, off-white satin-weave cloth with orange trim, vented with Velcro closures, of semi-rigid design, the helmet and torso armored, the arms and legs of flexible construction with ribbed-knit cuffs, two leather lined utility pockets, Velcro and buttonfly front (a notably, even bizarrely irrelevant feature); the helmet equipped with a clear visor and two snap-down visors providing two levels sunlight protection, the outermost of reflective gold; the front of the torso with various attachment points for electrical and life support connections, plus a fold-down control panel to adjust various suit parameters. A lever by the right elbow on the torso releases a side-hinged backpack door; the back of the torso with vertically hinged backpack which gives entry into the suit (the suit is “stepped into” rather than “put on”) and access to the life-support equipment in the backpack; the arms with ball-bearing races at the shoulders and wrists allowing for almost full circular movement; snap-on gloves with rubberized palms and pads; lightweight ankle boots of perforated leather; with flexible waffle-textured insulating foil lining the boots and the whole of the suit; the interior in gray nylon canvas. Height: 178 cm.
Backpack: Within the large rectangular backpack, a self-contained life-support system (ASOZH), which, through various interconnected subsystems, provides for suit pressurization, air collection, purification and dehumidification, thermal regulation through a water-cooled network of plastic tubes, control of the electrical equipment in the suit, “medical control,” and communication; all with backup systems.
Instrument panel: The front edge set with eleven buttons marked in Russian “On/Off Audio,: “Near/Far Communication,” “Main/Reserve Radio Transmitter,” “Main/Reserve Power,” etc., the top of the panel with four bar-graph gauges for voltage, and percentages of carbon dioxide, water and oxygen, and with various other gauges and controls.