From Star Wars to Elon Musk's 'space tux' - the style journey of astronaut suits


James Langton
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What was once the race to space is now more like a fashion parade.

As seen in the first official crewed mission of the SpaceX Dragon capsule to the International Space Station, the next generation of spacesuits are the most stylish to date.

Elon Musk, the billionaire behind SpaceX, has compared their design to a night out on the town, saying “everyone looks better in a tux".

Their futuristic look, inspired by superhero characters, is a far cry from the earliest models used by the pioneers of space travel back in the 1960s.

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They even rival those portrayed in science fiction, and would not look out of place on a Hollywood set.

Here we take a look at some of the most famous spacesuits of the past 60 years – and a few that exist only in science fiction.

Vostok SK-1

Worn by Russia's Yuri Gagarin on his historic first flight into orbit in 1961. The Skafandr Kosmicheskiy, or literally "suit for space" was used until 1963 and was personally designed for Gagarin. Vostok cosmonauts would eject at high altitude on their return to Earth and then parachute the final stage.

The Vostok SK-1 spacesuit and Vostok VZA ejection seat as used in 1960s-era Russian spacecraft. AFP
The Vostok SK-1 spacesuit and Vostok VZA ejection seat as used in 1960s-era Russian spacecraft. AFP

Mercury spacesuit

When John Glenn became the first American in space in February 1962, he was wearing a suit essentially based on one used by high altitude test pilots.

The MK IV full pressure suit was developed for the US Navy in 1959, while the Nasa version featured a number of improvements including removing the rubber mask that fed oxygen to the astronaut's face, and gloves with curved fingers to allow them to better grasp the controls.

Berkut spacesuit

Most spacesuits are designed to be worn during the ascent and descent stages of flight and protect the wearer in case of accidental decompression.

For spacewalks, an EVA or extra-vehicular activity suit is needed.

For the first spacewalk, in March 1965, Russia's Alexei Leonov wore an adapted version of the SK-1. It was used just once and for good reason. The suit overinflated once in space, nearly preventing Leonov from getting back into his Voskhod capsule.

A7-L series

As worn by Neil Armstrong when he became the first man to walk on the Moon in July 1969, the A7-L came in three versions, including one for flight and one for training. It was designed to resist the extremes of heat and cold on the lunar surface and its flexibility came from the help of a bra manufacturer.

Nasa turned to Playtex for the hand-stitched suits, and the brand's expertise in women's undergarments was used for the joints. A medieval suit of armour worn by King Henry VIII and displayed at the Tower of London was another design aid.

Versions of the A7-L were worn on all the Apollo and Skylab missions until 1974.

An astronaut wearing Nasa's Extravehicular Mobility Unit carries out repairs in space. Courtesy: Nasa
An astronaut wearing Nasa's Extravehicular Mobility Unit carries out repairs in space. Courtesy: Nasa

Extravehicular Mobility Unit

Introduced in 1981, this two-piece suit was designed for spacewalks of up to eight hours. For longer walks, it features what Nasa calls a Maximum Absorbency Garment – since no one can use the bathroom in space. EMUs have been on the International Space Station since 2000 and according to astronaut Doug Wheelock it "smells like a locker room."

Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Will Patton, Steve Buscemi and Michael Clarke Duncan sport Nasa's 'pumpkin' suits in the 1998 space adventure Armageddon. Getty Images / Touchstone Pictures
Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Will Patton, Steve Buscemi and Michael Clarke Duncan sport Nasa's 'pumpkin' suits in the 1998 space adventure Armageddon. Getty Images / Touchstone Pictures

"Pumpkin" suit

Challenger disaster in 1986, all of which retained the distinctive orange fabric, felt to stand out better against the blackness of space. It was adopted by Nasa for Space Shuttle missions after 1988.

Hazza Al Mansouri wears Russia's Sokol suit as he boards Soyuz MS-15 before its blasts off for the ISS, on September 25, 2019. Maxim Shipenkov / AFP
Hazza Al Mansouri wears Russia's Sokol suit as he boards Soyuz MS-15 before its blasts off for the ISS, on September 25, 2019. Maxim Shipenkov / AFP

Sokol suit

Introduced in 1973 and still worn by astronauts on the Russian Soyuz to this day. This was the suit worn by the first UAE astronaut, Hazza Al Mansouri last year. All Sokol suits are made to measure, and are designed to protect the wearer against possible decompression.

They were adopted after the deaths of three Russian astronauts in 1971 when their capsule suffered a disastrous leak on re-entry. The suits are designed to fit the seats on Soyuz, which gives their wearer a distinctive hunched look when walking.

Chris Ferguson, Boeing director of crew and mission systems, checks out the new Starliner spacesuit in a mockup of the company's crew spacecraft. Courtesy: Boeing
Chris Ferguson, Boeing director of crew and mission systems, checks out the new Starliner spacesuit in a mockup of the company's crew spacecraft. Courtesy: Boeing

'Boeing Blue'

Designed for the Boeing Starliner capsule, which hopes to make its first crewed flight in the new year. Along with SpaceX, Boeing has brought the private sector into space flight. Its blue flight outfit is said to be 40 per cent lighter than the old Nasa suits, and uses zips rather than clips to attach the helmet.

The must-have accessory are the blue and white boots designed by Reebok.

Nasa astronaut Victor Glover pictured in the SpaceX 'tux' on November 15. AP Photo / John Raoux
Nasa astronaut Victor Glover pictured in the SpaceX 'tux' on November 15. AP Photo / John Raoux

SpaceX Dragon suits

According to Elon Musk, he worked on the design for almost four years, saying it needed to look good as well as work well. The stylish one-piece outfit has a 3D printed helmet with a mechanical visor, built in microphones and touch sensitive gloves to work the controls.

Musk enlisted the help of Hollywood costume designer Jose Fernandez who had worked on superhero films like Batman v Superman and Fantastic Four.

"When people put this spacesuit on, he [Musk] wants them to look better than they did without it, like a tux. You look heroic in it," said Fernandez.

And a few from science fiction ...

Tintin, Captain Haddock and canine sidekick Snowy suited up in the 1953 comic adventure Destination Moon
Tintin, Captain Haddock and canine sidekick Snowy suited up in the 1953 comic adventure Destination Moon

Destination Moon

The spacesuits worn by comic book hero Tintin in Herge's 1950 Destination Moon feature the classic goldfish bowl helmet and bear a close resemblance to the Michelin Man character. They are unique in that one was designed for Tintin's dog Snowy, the first canine to go for lunar walkies.

A movie still from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Courtesy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
A movie still from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Courtesy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece imagined a lunar base by the turn of the century and flights provided by Pan-Am, the airline that went bust in 1991.

What he did get right was the spacesuits, which would not look out of place on a SpaceX flight. They are so realistic that conspiracy theories believe Kubrick was brought in to fake the Moon landings for Nasa.

One of the suits sold for Dh1.4 million at auction this year.

Flash Gordon, the original space hero. Universal / Kobal / Shutterstock
Flash Gordon, the original space hero. Universal / Kobal / Shutterstock

Flash Gordon

The original space hero hero, Flash Gordon has worn a variety of suits since his creation in the 1930s, including the ubiquitous goldfish bowl helmet.

For the classic film from 1980, our hero was protected by nothing more than a singlet vest and a platinum blonde helmet of hair. Among the early directors rejected for the film was one George Lucas who decided to go off and create his own homage to Flash called Star Wars. Which bring us to...

Stormtroopers. Do they have the coolest space suit? Jonathan Olley / Lucasfilm-Disney via AP
Stormtroopers. Do they have the coolest space suit? Jonathan Olley / Lucasfilm-Disney via AP

The Stormtrooper

Perhaps the coolest suit ever, as worn by the legions of bad guys in space combat for the Star Wars franchise. They may look great, but the outfits are surely the most useless ever made, causing the wearer to instantly drop dead when hit by even the weakest ray-gun shot from Han Solo.

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F1 drivers' standings

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281

2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247

3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222

4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177

5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138

6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93

7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86

8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56

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Match info

Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')

Southampton 0

SQUADS

South Africa:
JP Duminy (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wkt), AB de Villiers, Robbie Frylinck, Beuran Hendricks, David Miller, Mangaliso Mosehle (wkt), Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi

Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Imrul Kayes, Liton Das (wkt), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wkt), Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Taskin Ahmed

Fixtures
Oct 26: Bloemfontein
Oct 29: Potchefstroom

Profile of MoneyFellows

Founder: Ahmed Wadi

Launched: 2016

Employees: 76

Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)

Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO

Manchester City 1 Chelsea 0
De Bruyne (70')

Man of the Match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

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Company%20Profile
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Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

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MATCH INFO

Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')

Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')

Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Top Gun: Maverick'

Rating: 4/5

 

Directed by: Joseph Kosinski

 

Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris

 
Pathaan
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Winners

Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
 
  • Grade 9 = above an A*
  • Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
  • Grade 7 = grade A
  • Grade 6 = just above a grade B
  • Grade 5 = between grades B and C
  • Grade 4 = grade C
  • Grade 3 = between grades D and E
  • Grade 2 = between grades E and F
  • Grade 1 = between grades F and G
UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Best Foreign Language Film nominees

Capernaum (Lebanon)

Cold War (Poland)

Never Look Away (Germany)

Roma (Mexico)

Shoplifters (Japan)

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ICC Awards for 2021

MEN

Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)

WOMEN

Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)

RESULTS

Main card

Bantamweight 56.4kg: Mehdi Eljamari (MAR) beat Abrorbek Madiminbekov (UZB), Split points decision

Super heavyweight 94 kg: Adnan Mohammad (IRN) beat Mohammed Ajaraam (MAR), Split points decision

Lightweight 60kg:  Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Faridoon Alik Zai (AFG), RSC round 3

Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Taha Marrouni (MAR) beat Mahmood Amin (EGY), Unanimous points decision

Light welterweight 64.5kg: Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE), Unanimous points decision

Light heavyweight 81.4kg:  Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Haroun Baka (ALG), KO second round

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

The specs

Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder

Power: 220 and 280 horsepower

Torque: 350 and 360Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT 

On sale: now

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Brief scoreline:

Manchester United 1

Mata 11'

Chelsea 1

Alonso 43'

While you're here
The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8

Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm

Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km

Price: Dh380,000

On sale: now 

W.
Wael Kfoury
(Rotana)

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENetflix%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKris%20Fade%2C%20Ebraheem%20Al%20Samadi%2C%20Zeina%20Khoury%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sinopharm vaccine explained

The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades. 

“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.

"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."

This is then injected into the body.

"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.

"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."

The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.

Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.

“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.