Space Suits And Astronaut Equipment

In 1998 I began trying to duplicate NASA projects single handedly and with meagre means. I thought I could produce socioeconomically "miniature" versions of the missions I was aware of from museums and other suspect media outlets like computers. By using NASA artifacts as a guide, I could investigate not only historical subjects, but could also get those subjects to teach me about how to make things. I could accumulate knowledge that, while at an industrial scale was common or insignificant, nonetheless represented great personal achievement. I also made a decision at this point to make Art into a method for learning, which some might find an abomination (as I do). My first project was trying to make an Apollo Era space suit. I tried to make one half size first, thinking that smaller things are either easier or faster to make. Not even knowing how to sew, I found progress neither easy nor fast. Eventually I made a full scale rendition of the A7LB, which is the type of suit Astronauts wore on the moon during the later Apollo missions in the 1970's. This suit has several layers, and a mechanical and air conditioning system that mimics the actual artifacts, although made in my art-poverty-compromise vernacular. I machined all the fittings and fabricated all the plastic and rubber parts in my shop.

See: Conrad Carpenter

Projects

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