ISS Update: Z1 Spacesuit and Suitport Testing

NASA Public Affairs Officer Brandi Dean talks with Cristina Anchondo, Z1 spacesuit test director, about the Z1 spacesuit and some of the suitport tests they are performing in the building 32 vacuum chamber at Johnson Space Center.
The new Z1 spacesuit design incorporates a suitport, which is an interface between the interior of a space vehicle and the spacesuit that is mounted on the exterior of a space vehicle. This allows the wearer to quickly get into the spacesuit from the interior of a spacecraft then detach it from the suitport and begin exploring on the exterior.
Anchondo says that they are testing the spacesuit and suitport in the vacuum chamber to help simulate space, which is important to make sure that the hardware will survive and perform well in that environment.
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