Traveling Exhibit Focuses on Spacesuits

November 12, 2010—More than 500 million people in 40-plus countries on five continents watched as Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon for the first time. But that first step wouldn’t have been possible without the first spacesuit. For while men could travel in space, they needed something that would keep them safe while working and living there. When Armstrong and “Buzz” Aldrin walked out into the moon’s sunlight, the day’s temperature could reach 253 F. At night, outside the lunar module the moon’s temperature dropped to minus 387 F. Starting in 2011, you can learn about those spacesuits and others in Suited for Space, a new exhibition from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum that is embarking on a five-year U.S. tour. The exhibit, which opens at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago in March 2011, reveals the creativity and determination of the extraordinary few who ventured into space, but it highlights and showcases the ingenuity of the hundreds more who worked tirelessly—and often anonymously—to get them there.  While the remainder of the tour is not yet determined, you can find the latest tour itinerary here. “DuPont is proud to partner with the Smithsonian on this important national exhibition,” said Mark P. Vergnano, DuPont executive vice president. “It showcases the unprecedented collective efforts of hundreds of companies and agencies to protect lives in space, the net effect of which could only have been achieved when innovative science and collaboration were put to the service of an important goal.” Twenty of the 21 layers of the Apollo moon suits either contained or were made entirely of science-based innovations developed by DuPont. Nylon, neoprene coated nylon, Nomex fibers, Mylar polyester film, Kapton polyimide film and Krytox performance lubricants are just a few of the products that were used then, and continue to be used today in space and on earth. At the time, DuPont was the only company with the diversity of high-performance materials in its portfolio to protect these space pioneers.

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