Apollo attire needs care

Spacesuits were built to withstand the harsh environment of space. Surprisingly, their materials aren’t holding up all that well here on Earth. Researchers from the National Air and Space Museum’s Space History Division have started an 18-month project to analyze Apollo-era spacesuits, including the pressure suit worn by Apollo 15 mission commander David R. Scott in 1971.

To assess the sometimes hidden degradation in each suit, scientists are performing CAT scans, which let them see inside the more than 20 layers of synthetic polymers and natural rubber.