NASA APOLLO PROGRAM SPD-143 SPACE SUIT MOBILITY TEST FILM EARLY SPACESUIT PROTOTYPE XD31394

Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit Visit our website This film shows mobility tests for one of the first prototype spacesuits submitted by the International Latex Corporation to NASA. The SPD-143 model was part of the 1962 Apollo program suit competition. NASA called the suit an AX1-L (the designation “A“ for the Apollo program, X for experimental, 1 for first in a series, and L for manufacturer ILC) or the “Modified Training and Evaluation Suit“. The suit’s peculiar look, with joints and connectors forming an exoskeleton, was to allow an assessment of these parts. Twenty SPD-143 suits were made for training and assessment, and used for early evaluations of the Lunar Excursion Module (later changed to Lunar Module) and the Command Module. Note that the helmet shown lacks an eye protection sun visor. Vic Vykukal was the principal investigator of the AX space suit series. We encourage viewers to add comments and, espe