I think the cost is ultimately also a function of small (or no) batch sizes--how many space suits do you expect a particular manufacturer to make? How much special equipment is needed to sew the special (and tough) fabrics and rubber layers? How much precision tooling is needed to mill the seal races and ring bearings that give a spacesuit its flexibility. I've read somewhere that the most expensive single component of a spacesuit (atleast of US manufacture) is the gloves: each glove set must be made to a particular astronaut's hand dimensions. The cost of a set of gloves for a Space Shuttle Space Suit is in the 'hundreds of thousands of dollars.'

It is an interesting question, because this problem will need to be addressed when we have hundreds of people living and working in space...

I suspect that a dedicated manufacturing plant will be needed--and then standardize the main components, and fit those main components to a range of over garment sizes: the gloves will still likely to be custom built for each user--but once the whole process is 'assembly lined' I'm thinking the indivual production costs will go down. It's just the cost of the suit is reflected in the capital investment of the manufacturer--if it costs $75 million (just a WAG) to build the facility that expects to produce probably no more than 10 space suits--bam! I can see suits costing $12 million a piece. Now if a production facility costs $500 million to build, and is expected to produce 1000 space suits, I can see their individual costs dropping below $1 million a piece.

Hamilton Sundstrand has protested NASA's selection of a Houston company to supply the space agency's next-generation spacesuit.link

"The contract was awarded June 12 to Houston-based Oceaneering International, best known for providing deep-water services and products to the oil and gas industry."


It seems funny only one company was selected. Why weren't they both able to participate in the contract?? Was it a bidding process? Maybe if both companies participated costs might have been brought down.

Seems fishy to me...aren't you suppose to get input from as many qualified companies as possible that want to participate in a national space program?


I don't agree with giving only one company the contact unless it is absolutely warranted.

There are too many qualified good companies in the U.S. not to give them a chance at particpating in the national space program.