Latest news with #spacesuit
ABC News
2 days ago
- Science
- ABC News
The lingerie seamstresses who helped put man on the moon
You can probably picture that iconic moment, when Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon. But what if his 'one small step for man' was actually thanks to a group of unlikely women? In the 1960's when President JFK accelerated the space race, NASA needed someone to design a spacesuit capable of putting man on the moon. When the big contractors failed to meet the challenge, NASA had no choice but to work with the only company up to the job: Playtex — manufacturers of women's girdles and bras. 🎧 Hear No One Saw It Coming with Marc Fennell on the ABC listen app.
CBS News
13-05-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Colorado teen designs spacesuit prototypes after joining NASA's simulated Mars mission
As high school graduation season begins, many seniors are mapping out their next steps -- college, technical training, or entering the workforce. But one Colorado student is already reaching for the stars. Riley Nuttycombe, a senior at New Vista High School, spent her final year redesigning spacesuits as part of a capstone project. She devoted more than 200 hours to creating prototype designs to improve astronaut mobility, comfort, and airflow. "This is a 3D-printed plastic model with a hood I sewed at home and then stitched on by hand," Nuttycombe said. Riley Nuttycombe demos her spacesuit design at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah. Riley Nuttycombe Using a snorkel mask as her starting point, she aimed to rethink helmet designs that she said haven't changed significantly in decades. "We're still using the same helmets we used 25 to 30 years ago," she said. "I wanted to create something lighter and that had better mobility as well as better airflow." Her work extended beyond the classroom this spring when she joined NASA's Spaceward Bound program. Nuttycombe tested her designs at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, a simulated Martian environment where she was the only student among a team of educators. "It feels like you're on Mars," she said. "You wake up in the morning, you can't go outside the habitat, there are tunnels." Riley Nuttycombe This marked Nuttycombe's second mission to simulated Mars -- where she first found her passion for improving spacesuit design. "We need our spacesuits to not be injuring our astronauts," she said. "Making them more lightweight, making them more- fit to the human, not just the mission, is hugely important." As she looks toward graduation and her future, Nuttycombe said she hopes to stay involved in aerospace technology. Riley Nuttycombe "I would love to go to space someday, but I think the technology side of things is more where I'm going to end up," she said. Her message to others is to start now: "Go for it, try it out -- you can do anything."
