Space Suits

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the parts of a space suit:

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To be able to explore and work in space, humans have to take their environment with them because there is no atmosphere to supply the pressure and oxygen necessary to support life. Without sufficient atmospheric pressure, body fluids will start to heat up and boil. Without oxygen, we would be unable to breathe.

Space suits protect astronauts and give them air to breathe while working in space. The parts of a space suit are: a helmet with a clear front so the astronaut can see to work; an upper section that is hard around the astronaut's chest but with flexible arms and gloves; and a flexible lower section with boots that let the astronaut move around easily. The suit protects the astronauts from hot and cold temperatures and the vacuum of space.

Each suit has an air pack called a Primary Life Support System and a built-in radio. Astronauts working outside the Space Shuttle talk to each other on the radio, because the vacuum of space doesn't carry sounds.

Astronauts sometimes move around in their suits outside the Shuttle using handles built into the Shuttle, and they can lock their boots into special holders so they can work in the bay of the Shuttle.

When astronauts have to leave the bay of the Shuttle and fly to a satellite a short distance away, they wear a backpack that has small rockets built into it. The backpack is called a Manned Maneuvering Unit. Using hand controllers, a lot like a computer game, the astronaut can fire the rockets and fly out to repair a satellite.

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