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[music] >> Joe: NASA is doing something pretty cool
right now. >> Elliott: They’re asking the public to
vote on the look of their new spacesuit. >> Joe: Which is pretty rad. It’s a fun
way to engage the minds of the masses and reinvigorate interest in our space program.
>> Elliott: It’s crazy that we live in a time where people are bored by space exploration.
Hey, you see that tiny spec of light up there? >> Joe: Ya.
>> Elliott: That’s Mars. We sent robots there and they still work.
>> Joe: God. Stop trying to kill me with your boring.
>> Elliott: The voting public will decide how the prototype of NASA’s Z-2 suit will
look. This is the sequel to the Z-1 suit that looked like this. If you want to know what
the Z-1 was all about, click here and you’ll be whisked back to July of 2012, when we covered
that story. >> Joe: But this baby’s been updated According
to NASA’s bullet points this suit is the First surface-specific planetary mobility
suit to be tested in full vacuum. It’s the First use of 3D human laser scans and 3D-printed
hardware for suit development and sizing. It’ the most advanced use of impact resistant
composite structures on a suit upper and lower torso system. The first integration of the
suit-port concept with a hard upper torso suit structure. And the most conformal and
re-sizeable hard upper torso suit built to date. But who cares about function? Let’s
get to the fashion. >> Elliott: Option A: Biomimicry. This suit
is inspired by the other black void: The Ocean. It incorporates the idea of bioluminescence,
which is pretty awesome, and that stuff is surrounded by somewhat of a fish scale look.
>> Joe: So, when the light dims, electroluminescent wires glow bright, pinpointing your exact
location for space monsters. Option B: Technology. This is like the 1950s version of what the
future was supposed to look like. It rocks Luminex wire and light-emitting patches. The
idea here is that different light patches or maybe even colors could help identify different
crew members. >> Elliott: And option 3: “Trends in Society”
This is the sporty version and the site claims it’s what clothes may look like in the future.
It also features the electroluminescent wires but in more of an outlining accent kind of
way. I voted for: >> Joe: And I voted for technology. You should
vote too! Cause why not?! And send post your pics and we’ll throw you in a comment commentary
on Friday, cause why not? Or better yet, design your own damn suit!
>> Elliott: Oh, and just so you know, this new suit won’t be going to space anytime
soon. The suit should be completed by November of 2014, and it’s only going to be utilized
in vacuum chambers and stuff here on boring earth.
>> Joe: Blah. Let us know what you picked down below.
[music]