Facts about Soviet EVA suit engineering
- 08
Soviet Orlan suits used an automatic pressure regulation valve that maintained internal suit pressure at 0.4 atmospheres, significantly lower than American spacesuits at 0.3 atmospheres, reducing flexibility constraints while maintaining adequate oxygen supply.
- 07
Orlan suit torsos contained a replaceable carbon dioxide absorption cartridge using lithium hydroxide that could maintain breathable air for up to seven hours during extended spacewalks.
- 06
Orlan suit communications systems used a bone-conduction microphone embedded in the helmet lining that transmitted cosmonaut speech through vibrations rather than traditional audio pickups, eliminating interference from suit noise during spacewalks.
- 05
Orlan suit helmets incorporated a gold-coated visor that reflected infrared radiation and reduced glare, protecting cosmonaut eyes during prolonged exposure to unfiltered solar radiation above Earth's atmosphere.
- 04
In 1975, Soviet engineers designed the Orlan suit's gloves with articulated metal finger joints and spring-loaded mechanisms to maintain dexterity during six-hour extravehicular activities in near-zero pressure environments.
- 03
Valentina Tereshkova's 1963 Vostok 3KD suit used a mechanical pressure sealing system with rotating rings rather than zippers, allowing repeated donning and doffing without degradation.
- 02
Orlan suits employed a dual-layer fabric construction with outer Kevlar and inner nylon to withstand micrometeorite impacts and temperature extremes ranging from negative 120 to positive 120 degrees Celsius.
- 01
The Orlan-D suit, introduced in 1971, featured a rigid helmet and torso that Soviet cosmonauts could enter from the back, reducing suiting time to approximately 20 minutes.