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Path: utzoo!kcarroll
From: kcarroll@utzoo.UUCP (Kieran A. Carroll)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Astronaut requirements
Message-ID: <3448@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 9-Jan-84 11:16:49 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.3448
Posted: Mon Jan  9 11:16:49 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 9-Jan-84 11:16:49 EST
References: <15053@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 21

   


   I believe that NASA is making (or has made) the shift from tailor-made
space suits to standard-sized ones.  This would set upper and lower
limits on the heights of the astronaut-candidates.  It also sets limits
on their other dimensions; I saw Dr. Ride being interviewed on TV, in 
connenction with the last shuttle launch, I think.  She said that
when coming up with standard-sized space suits, they were classified as
to their height, as were the astronauts.  To their surprise, they
found that a (say) 68-inch high female astronaut wouldn't fit into
a 58-inch high suit, which had been designed with a (say) 95th
percentile american MALE in mind (ie. 95% of the 68-inch high american
males would fit the suit (or it them)).  The shoulders were too wide,
and the chest and hips too narrow, of course.  I'm not sure exactly
what NASA has done about this problem since; either they've designed
suits especially for the fems, or made the men's suits adjustable.
   Who says the sexes are equal?

   -Kieran A. Carroll
...decvax!utzoo!kcarroll