Some background: the spacesuit is a replica of an A7LB EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit), first used on Apollo 15 in 1971, and continued in slightly varied forms through Apollo 17, SkyLab, and up to the shuttle era. A7LBs still feature occassionally in astronaut training, but are for the most part superceded by the modern space shuttle EMUs. Since the shuttle has an air lock, the modular design of interchangeable connectors that featured on the chest of the A7LB are no longer required. And since the shuttle EMU is designed for microgravity only, it doesn't need the sophisticated hinges and bellows in the legs that were designed for the A7LB - an EMU designed for walking on the Moon.

I have spent the last 5 years on and off building this EMU, and it has gone through a few changes and incarnations in that time, mostly affected by availability of research material. I would like to thank the following individuals, companies and institutions for their time, assistance, guidance and support:

The late Robert Delaney

David Mather

Chris Gilman and co. at Global Effects

Ed Guard and the great team at Guard Lee

The kind folks at Hamilton Standard (now Hamilton Sunstrand)

and

Kerrie Dougherty at the Powerhouse Museum for all her time, support, and lovely books :-)

Right hand pressure glove with red anodized aluminium wrist connector	Two connectors on the chest of the PGA (Pressure Garment Assembly), top: electrical, lower: OPS O2 Supply inlet (note: both are unanodized at this time - they will eventually be anodized blue, and some others will be anodized red)
LEVVA (Lunar Extravehicular Visor Assembly) with outer visor retracted	LEVVA with outer visor down - and yes, you can see through it (everything looks a bit greenish).
RCU (Remote Control Unit), minus ITMG (Integrated Thermal and Meteoroid Garment) covering, OPS (Oxygen Purve System) actuator lever bracket, and Hasselblad camera bracket	On loan for a very brief period, a genuine ITMG once used by Fred Haise when he was on the backup crew for Apollo 16 - here placed on my own replica PGA, with my own replica LEVVA. This image was taken 4th December 2000. Having this image is a miracle, as all other cameras either did not function properly, or film in cameras was forgotten, and this video footage was mostly accidentally taped over :-(

Click here for some hi-res scans of a snoopy cap once belonging to Story Musgrave, plus various views of a training glove used by Charlie Duke of Apollo 16

--------------

 

Click here to see brand new photographs taken of the Haise ITMG, including rarely seen *internal* views

February 04, 2001

See the ITMG in 3D! Click here to go to my mate Peter Smith's website, where he has stereo pair photos of the ITMG taken shortly before its departure

more to come...

---

and