STS-130 Endeavour: Suitup and Walkout [HD]

STS-130 Commander George Zamka and his crew are getting into their orange partial pressure suits before heading out to a waiting Endeavour at Launch Pad 39A. They are getting dressed in the Operations and Checkout Building here at Kennedy with a team of capable technicians helping them out along the way to make sure all the connections are correct. The process includes leak checks to make sure everyones pressure suits are working properly.

The pressure suits have two layers. The first is a liquid-cooled garment that looks a lot like the waffle-pattern of thermal underwear sewn with lines that carry chilled liquid to keep the astronaut cool inside. The second, or outer shell, is the instantly recognizable orange part of the suit. Boots, gloves and white helmets complete the launch ensemble.

The astronauts have already put on these suits or training versions of them many times in training. For Zamka and Pilot Terry Virts, the suits have even been worn while practicing landings inside the Shuttle Training Aircraft.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• STS
• STS-130
• Endeavour
• Space
• Shuttle
• Space Shuttle
• NASA
• Station
• ISS
• VAB
• Launch
• Launch platform
• Pad
• 39A
• Tranquility
• Node
• Node 3
• Cupola
• Night
• ''Night
• Launch''