Broadcast 2081 (Special Edition)

Guests: John Batchelor, Pablo de Leon, Dr. David Livingston: Topics: Recent space suit problems, Russian and American space suits. You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We do not permit the commercial use of any Space Show program or part thereof, nor do we permit Space Show programs to be edited, placed on YouTube, or other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted in news articles, papers, academic & research work but must be cited or referenced in the proper citation format. Contact Dr. Livingston for questions about our copyright and trademark policies which we do enforce. This program is archived on The Space Show website, podcasting, and blog sites with permission from John Batchelor. Please visit the John Batchelor Show website for more information about this fine program, www.johnbatchelorshow.com. Remember, your Amazon Purchases Can Help Support The Space Show/OGLF (www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm). During our 11 minute plus discussion, John, Pablo de Leon and I talked about the recent spacesuit helmet to flood with water and the associated risk for Astronaut Luca Parmitano. We also discussed design and technical flaws with the American EVA spacesuit as it was not designed to be maintained and serviced in space but to be brought back to Earth using the shuttle. In contrast, the Russian Orlan suit was designed for repairs and maintenance in space. Pablo mentioned other differences as well with the American and Russian suits. For example, the Russian suit operates at a much higher pressure causing the user to tire more easily and quicker, plus the higher pressure limits some movements. I asked Pablo about progress with the idea of the positive pressure suit but as you will hear, nothing on the near term. In fact, as our Hotel Mars segment ended, Pablo said we will be using existing suit technology and materials for at least ten more years before new materials, manufacturing processes, and concepts are able to being entering the market. Please post any comments/questions you might have on The Space Show blog. You can contact any of us through drspace@thespaceshow.com.