
Mars One developed a new type of Mars exploration suit.
Mars One, a Netherlands-based company, has unveiled a new type of Mars exploration suit during a recent conference. To keep up with the times and not to mentioned the avid competition, Mars One has designed new generations of space suits, strong enough to sustain a great amount of punishment.
According to sources inside the company, the new suit’s design is based on traditional astronaut and cosmonaut suits, but with some extra features. For example, compared to the original space suits, Mars One’s concept features a high-impact helmet.
Not only can the helmet withstand a high amount of pressure, but it is also resistant to extreme mechanical shocks. The designers declared that this type of helmet would become a must-have for Mars explorers, as the Red Planet’s surface is treacherous.
The upgraded helmet also features a wider see-through bubble, which will permit the wearer to cover a wider field of view.
In addition to the upgraded helmet, the suit is made from a strong fabric weaved with metal components in order to reinforce structural integrity.
Unfortunately, the only thing the designers weren’t capable of solving is the red dust problem. According to several studies, the dust on Mars is rougher and larger than the dust on Earth. In fact, there have been several instances when Martian dust scratched and broke lens and other objects.
Although the solution still eludes the designers, they did find a good way to shield the wearer against harmful radiations.
And it would seem that the suit won’t stay too long on mothballs. According to sources inside Mars One, the company plans to send a manned ship to Mars starting with 2026. The crew will consist of 24 members, each of them with unique skills.
So far, the perspective of settling on a new planet attracted over 200,000 people from all the corners of the world. Meanwhile, Elon Musk wants to send an unmanned space crew to the Red Planet in 2018.
As for NASA, the space agency declared that at the moment it is content with surveying Mars with rovers, but it’s planning on sending a human crew to Mars as early as 2030.
Meanwhile, the engineers and designers working at Mars One are working around the clock to improve the new Mars exploration suit. They’ve also said that all the piece used to construct the Mars exploration suit are interchangeable, which means that the astronauts will be able to repair them out there if they are damaged.
Image source: Wikipedia