Mercury Space Suit

The Mercury space suit, which was actually a modified version of the Navy MK IV high altitude jet aircraft pressure suit, was designed to be a backup in case the Mercury capsule cabin lost air pressure. The Mercury program went without ever having an event like that happen. The suit could not be exposed to the vacuum of space because it did not have a micrometeoroid layer. The inner layer was made of Neoprene-coated fabric while the outer layer was aluminized nylon. It has been said that the silver nylon layer was added to make the astronauts look "futuristic." The joints had fabric break lines, but even with these it was hard for the astronauts to move their arms and legs. When a joint was bent, the suits folded in on themselves increasing pressure against the astronaut. The Mercury suit was worn "soft," which means it was unpressurized and served only as a backup. It has been said that the silver outer layer was added to make the suits look "futuristic." Alan Shepard experienced many problems with his suit during his flight. He had trouble reading his wrist gauge and it is also believed the wrist seal might have caused a mobility problem. For the next flight, Gus Grissom's suit was fitted with a mirror so the camera in the Mercury capsule could photograph switch positions and instrument readings. After Gus' premature water exit when the hatch of his Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft blew acidently after splashdown, a mini life vest was added to the astronaut's survival kit. For the third Mercury mission, little lights were added to the glove fingertips so the astronaut could work while on the dark side of the earth. Many more changes were made to the Mercury suit. The suit that Gordon Cooper, the last man to fly in a Mercury capsule, wore during his mission reflected many changes since Alan Shepard's first flight; new boots, shoulder construction, helmet, gloves, and microphone had all been improved. The suit was so comfortable that Cooper took a nap during his flight. There were three companies competing for the Mercury space suit contract with NASA: the David Clark Company, International Latex Corporation, and the B.F. Goodrich Company. The B.F. Goodrich Company was eventually chosen to be the prime contractor for the Mercury suits. The Goodrich engineers used body molds of the astronaut to produce the 22 lb. suits The suit helmet had to fit perfectly and counted for about half the suits cost. The helmets were made from molds as well.


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