On The Job: ILC Dover

michelle not sending michelle mackonochie into space — but there is a lot of work leading up to that kind of travel — and she’s going to tell us a little about getting suited up. and i-l-c dover knows a thing or two about space suits. but before any astronaut goes into space – their suits have to be broken in. this week on the job 47 abc’s michelle mackonochie is helping with that – take a look. track 1 i-l-c dover makes uniforms that are out of this world – literally. they make then for nasa astronauts. and today – were going to get a first-hand look at how they test them before they head into space. 18:02:40″what are we going to be doing today – so today this is our space assembly suit that we built for nasa they use it on board the space station and we keep the suit here to do material changes design changes we want to test it here in the lab so if anything breaks we want it to break here and not in space right not in space.”18:02:57 track 2 bill ayrey is the manager at the quality test lab — and he says these suits are far from simple. it takes about 8 to 9 months to make one – and they’re tested once every few years. 18:04:55″with these astronauts with all their tools on them – the astronaut in the suit the primary life support system fully charged this suit can be weighed up to about 700 pounds – 700 pounds here in 1 g – that’s seven of me – yeah right.”18:05:10 buttsot 18:04:21″there’s a lot that goes into it a lot of different materials there’s about eleven layers of different material in here – wow.”18:04:27 buttsot 18:05:41″i know you’re going to let me get in the suit and i’m going to put the helmet on and everything i’m super excited so i guess we should get started. let’s do it -ok.”18:05:49 track 3 first up — getting changed into the outfit that goes under suit — long johns and socks. 18:07:18″wish me luck.”18:07:19 buttsot 18:07:34″do i have this thing on right.”18:07:35 track 4 next — we had to put on something called a liquid cooling garment. this is a stretchy suit made up of small tubes that fill with cool water – to help keep you cool. 18:08:18″is there a technique so the zippers all the way open right – ok.”18:08:20 buttsot 18:08:43″keep pulling it up you can grab down in here that’s it and just – there you go.”18:08:48 buttsot 18:08:54″pull the rest up put your arms in there this is comfortable it is it’s comfortable.”18:09:03 buttsot 18:09:34″ok you’re ready to go to space – he’s trying not to laugh.”18:09:38 track 5 after the cooling garment was all zipped up – it was time for the heavy part – putting on the space suit pants. they weigh about 60 pounds. 18:10:40″you’re going to wiggle your toes as you come down into the feet – wow – it’s a lot of material you have to go through.”18:10:45 buttsot 18:10:50″ok – ok you have to keep going now you have to grab these – it’s like a workout – pull like that on the sides because your goal here is to try and get your feet down into the boots.”18:11:00 buttsot 18:11:51″did it – alright – well you’re not in it yet i’m half in it.”18:11:58 track 6 next step — actually walking over to the suit. once i was under it – i had to have a little help getting in it. and the first thing that has to go in — your hands. 18:13:17″oh my gosh this is so heavy.”18:13:19 buttsot 18:13:31″this is seriously a full body workout to get in this thing it is”18:13:34 buttsot 18:13:42″oh my gosh – ok you got it – i did it.”18:13:45 track 7 next — we had to put on the caps that go under the helmet. 18:16:09″we’re going to get the helmet on you were going to put the communications carrier on you we have to have this comfort cap right here.”18:16:15 buttsot 18:16:24″now this is really going to make you look like an astronaut ok – now you look official.”18:16:29 buttsot 18:17:50″now the fun part are you ready – yeah – the helmet here we go the helmet.”18:17:58 buttsot 18:18:20″wow it’s so crazy how easy you can breathe in here like you would think you’re in a fish tank and it kind of feels like a fish tank.”18:18:27 track 8 being under the helmet was pretty cool – until. 18:19:45″uh oh i have an itchy nose -too bad.”18:19:48 track 9 great. next – bill had the suit pressurized. 18:20:42″ok what do you think – this is pretty cool – is it? yes – feel your ears popping a little bit? yeah i feel like i’m in an airplane.”18:20:49 track 10 bill says – in order to test the suits and break them in – they do various excercises. and they do them for at least an hour. 18:21:25″you might have to do shoulder rotations that’s doing this kind of thing right here.”18:21:30 buttsot 18:21:33″or 100 of these so all those motions are important to us in designing a suit and in qualifying it to make sure that the astronauts can do all of that.”18:21:42 track 11 next bill had me play with a hook that astronauts have to use in order not to float away. finally we were done with the suit and it was time to move onto the small tank where the gloves are tested and broken in. one exercise they have to do is finger flexes. 2118 of them. 18:37:05″seven eight nine ten – two thousand? 2118 – two thousand two thousand one.”18:37:16 track 12 i did about 5. finally our job was done. “so how did i do today….etc.” track 13 michelle mackonochie 47 abc. michelle says actually getting into the suit was a pretty cool deal — but if you’re even the slightest bit claustrophobic – don’t even think about it! next week on the job – michelle visits robinsons in salisbury where shes going to be put to work with a variety of things so be sure to tune in for that. coming up we’ll have a final look at your weather