SpaceX Spacesuit Revealed, Musk Teases Future Of Interstellar Fashion

Since the dawn of the science fiction genre, entertainment figures have come up with different outfits that futuristic astronauts would wear, from the ridiculous fishbowl disasters to truly spectacular mechanical suits. As the front runner in the age of private space companies, it was only a matter of time before SpaceX unveiled its own version of a spacesuit and CEO Elon Musk just did.

In an Instagram post, Musk reveals the first image ever of what the SpaceX spacesuit is going to look like and it looks positively Interstellar. Anyone who has seen the movie starring Matthew McConaughey and directed by Christopher Nolan will immediately recognize the similarities between the two outfits. The one featured in the photo does seem sleeker and more futuristic, though.

“First picture of SpaceX spacesuit. More in days to follow. Worth noting that this actually works (not a mockup). Already tested to double vacuum pressure. Was incredibly hard to balance [aesthetics] and function. Easy to do either separately,” Musk wrote in the post.

There are a few things about this statement that are worth noting for relevance in space travel. The fact that the suit has been put through “double vacuum pressure” tests means that it’s ready to keep the wearers alive in case the ship’s cabin loses pressure for any reason. The fact that the suit can actually withstand this punishing condition means that it’s made of some truly durable material.

Considering what Musk has planned for his rockets, though, this is only to be expected. Although the SpaceX CEO didn’t provide any other details, it makes sense that the suits will be worn by the first batch of explorers going to Mars on the Dragon Capsule, The Verge reports. Having the protective outfit should increase the chances of the mission going to the red planet being a success.