Pressure Suit, Apollo, SPD, Developmental

This suit is a highly modified Special Products Division SPD-143 suit made by International Latex Corporation (ILC) in1962. ILC has made modifications on its ILC AX-1L competition suit that showed great promise in the initial competition for the spacesuits that astronauts would wear on the Moon. The company made twenty SPD-143 suits in the years1964-5. During the early Apollo program, this suit was commonly referred to as the “RA” or Republic Aviation suit. The reason for this was the suit was used at Republic Aviation during the manned testing conducted there. Hamilton Standard then acquired the suit and made extensive hip and leg modifications for mobility experiments during late 1965 and early 1966.This spacesuit does not have a cover-layer or integrated boots. The initial contract called for a pressure suit with demonstrated mobility, and the ability to perform the tasks anticipated in the Apollo program. The thermal outer garments and integrated boots were questions to be tackled at a later date.NASA Johnson Space Center transferred this suit to the museum at the conclusion of the Apollo program.