Why must space suits be white or orange?
Space suits come in two colors: white and orange. This is, of course, not because they look better or because they are the favorite colors of the person choosing them.
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White space suits are preferred during spacewalks. Another name for this suit is the “EVA Suit.” EVA stands for “extravehicular activity,” which is, in simpler and more common terms, a spacewalk.
There are also less common orange-colored suits, and the reason this color is preferred is generally related to Earth.
COLOR CHOICE IS VERY IMPORTANT IN MISSIONS
As reported by Webtekno, the color white is easily noticeable in the infinite darkness of space. If there is any problem, it will be easier to spot an astronaut wearing white.
Furthermore, white is the color that reflects heat best. Solar rays and radiation reach an astronaut on a spacewalk much more than they do on Earth.
To protect against this and to regulate the temperature inside the space suit, the most accurate color is undoubtedly white.
The space suit is made of a highly protective material. Maintaining heat control is not only for keeping the astronaut warm but also for cooling them when necessary. When the air gets too cold, astronauts have heaters in the fingers of their gloves so they can continue their work comfortably and use their hands without any issues.
The orange-colored suit, also known as the “ACES Suit” (Advanced Crew Escape Suit), is also known as the launch and entry suit. It is also nicknamed the “pumpkin suit” because of its color. The orange color is designed to make it easiest to find an astronaut in the middle of the ocean.
In the middle of the vast blue, the color that will be seen most easily is orange.
The full-pressure orange space suit is preferred against a possible problem during the launch and landing of spacecraft. Outside of these two situations, the orange space suit is not used.
This suit contains a parachute, radio, medicine, and an emergency kit to keep the astronaut alive in emergency situations.
At one time, another color was used for astronaut suits besides orange and white: silver-gray.
This color was preferred by the Mercury Program astronauts. Since the astronauts would not be going outside the vehicle, this suit had no protection.
This suit was chosen to look visually appealing and to fit the perception of astronauts depicted at that time. While space suits provide the best protection for astronauts, they also allow them to move as comfortably as possible. For this reason, they are produced in three sizes: small, medium, and large.
Astronauts can choose different sizes for their upper and lower bodies and match them. Aside from the standard three sizes of the suits, since gloves are one of the most important parts of the suit and they need to perform delicate tasks, they are produced specifically for each astronaut.
The cost of one astronaut suit is 12 million dollars. Astronauts who complete their mission return their suits to be used again.
As a result, the colors chosen for astronauts' suits actually mean a lot. Choosing another color could even cost them their lives. We will see together if other colors will be tried in the future, or if they will always continue with these colors.