Rs 85,33,82,00,000 for one suit… this much money will end poverty in Pakistan, the suit is for….
Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla prepares to join Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, set to launch on June 8. Shukla is set to become the first astronaut from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to visit the station as part of a joint effort between NASA and the Indian space agency. He will also be India’s second national astronaut to go to space since 1984. Rakesh Sharma earned the distinction of being the first Indian to go to space on board Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft in 1984. The IAF pilot who is among the astronauts chosen for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission, India’s first human space flight, was promoted to group captain in March 2024. He has 2,000 flight hours on various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and the An-32. Special suits are made for astronauts, which are quite expensive.
Going by the media reports, NASA’s spacesuits can cost anywhere between 10 million to 22 million dollars, depending on the model and features included. One of the key features of the suits is to protect astronauts from the harsh environment of space.
At present, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is developing the new xEMU suit, which is reportedly slated to cost about 1 billion dollars (around 8,355 crore rupees). Surprisingly, this price is due to the advanced technology used in the suit, designed to keep astronauts safe during long missions.
Highlighting an example, the spacesuits used by NASA during the Apollo missions in 1974 were reported to cost between $15 million and $22 million each. If adjusted for inflation, this equates to approximately $83 million to $122 million in today’s dollars.
One of the key functionalities of the spacesuit is to protect astronauts in extreme conditions: both very hot and very cold. It can function in temperatures ranging from -150°C to +120°C. In addition, the suit protects astronauts from harmful radiation and tiny space debris. Not only for protection, but space suits include systems for oxygen supply, temperature regulation, and carbon dioxide removal. All these features require advanced materials and specialized technology. Therefore, these suits are so expensive. It also protects astronauts from the vacuum of space, as well as harmful radiation from the Sun and other celestial bodies.
To provide these features, special materials and advanced technology are required, which drive up the cost of the suit. It also includes built-in computers, air conditioning, oxygen supply, drinking water, and even an integrated toilet. Moreover, these spacesuits also have backup systems for oxygen. It even removes carbon dioxide using a fan mechanism. The suit protects astronauts from the sun’s harmful rays, extreme cold, and sudden temperature changes in space.
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