An astronaut wears a spacesuit to function in a weightless atmosphere such as space. The first spacesuit was designed for Yuri Gagarin, the first man to space. It wasn’t for comfort; it was very uncomfortable and too heavy to wear. Moreover, many design flaws made it impractical for use by future cosmonauts.

Spacesuits are made of fireproofed material. They are pressurized, which means that the space inside is filled with air or gas to provide breathable oxygen for life support under low atmospheric pressure.

Spacesuits are an astronaut’s spaceship. The first spacesuit was designed by Alexei Leonov, who later became the first person to take a walk in an open space.

Spacesuits come in different varieties depending on their function and environment. Astronauts at the ISS wear medium–pressure suits when they don’t need to go into an EVA. These medium–pressure suits are just like what you’d wear for deep-sea diving, with gas supply coming from backpacks attached to one’s chest. Astronauts who do EVAs, on the other hand, wear hard-shell suits. These are made to pressurize fully and sustain an astronaut for up to six hours outside the spacecraft.

The whole system of spacesuits has changed little since Gagarin’s time; likely, what was used then could still be used in outer space today.

From the classic Vostok spacesuit to NASA’s Extravehicular Mobility Unit or EMU, many have been made. In 2010, China became the 3rd nation after Russia and the US to put a man into space for a docking mission with its spacecraft; it also sent 3 astronauts aboard Shenzhou-7 for 2 weeks.

Since the 1980s, NASA has been planning to return to the moon, and now there are plans for Mars. More advanced spacesuits will have to be made by 2020 to enable more extended sojourns in space. There will have to be comfort upgrades because astronauts cannot be expected to function at their best if they are trapped in uncomfortable spacesuits for months on end. Astronauts must have portable life support with power to spare.

Spacesuits are one of the most critical components of any space mission. They protect astronauts from extreme temperatures and radiation that can harm humans. Without them, human beings could not survive in outer space.

Spacesuits are also crucial in helping astronauts carry out construction and repairs outside the spacecraft. They can do impossible or hazardous work for those inside vehicles, such as space shuttles.