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Tips for ACES suit builders

Astonaut wearing their ACES suits. Many details mentioned latter show if you click image larger. Note how suit proportions chance from small suit to large. Photo by NASA

First of all, ACES suit is more complicated that is looks:

Orange Nomex-fabric is covering loosely upper part of the pressure suit. Nomex suit is attached with zippers around main zipper, neck ring and wrist rings. There are holes in this orange suit for controller, valves and connectors. Long under pants (orange Nomex) are permanently attached to pressure suit. When you understand this main structure, many odd details have sense. For example large pocket in right thigh is sewn on long trousers and connected to shorts part only with Velcro.

For measurement count you can use NASA meatball patch that is 3 inch, 7,6cm in diameter. Pulley wheel (white) in wire system is approximately 3cm and white strap is close to 2cm wide.

Suit must hang loosely and length of back has to be 5-10cm longer than it normally would. If suit is too short, it is very difficult or even impossible to get it on. Here you can see, how donning should be done. Also if suit is too short, it will be difficult to sit down or reach forward. In real suit zipper opens from front towards back, but I found opposite opening direction to be easier to use. I had “remove before flight” strap on zipper pull and it made donning easier.

Almost all seams have double stitching.

Sew thigh shoulder padding on shoulders. Neck ring should not rest on its sides, but on its own “saddle rest” connected and supported on the air with strong wires. It might also be necessary to sew padding in front and back of the suit. Some astronauts use rising wedge under their “saddle rest”. If neck ring is located too low, height of helmet won’t be enough and you can’t keep your head up right. Astronauts clearly have lots of padding around collar.

L-size helmet will have outer diameter close to 25cm. Grey sun visor is 28,5cm diameter.

Right shoes are Rocky 911 boots with flat sole. Shoes have individually coloured plates with seat letter on them.

You will need at least 3m of orange fabric (size s). I used strong breathable polyester meant for outdoor pillows. It was ok, but just a bit transparent (blue cooling garment sleeves under orange fabric made it to look slightly dull). Orange undergarments solved this problem.

I used this way of cutting pieces. From the uncut piece I made collar parts and inner facings for holes.

“Sadle rest” shows well in this image. It is connected to neck ring with strong steel wires that keep ring on the air. Note also that ring is not black, but deep blue.

Sewing order:
All pockets (8pieces) ready. Sew elastic band for left knee. Inner thigh knife pockets have holes with white string and white opening straps that have snap fasteners.
Sleeve centre seam, zippers and blue fabric on the wrist. For more realistic tube look sew string inside blue fabric fold.

Darts in knees, shoulders.
Sew collar round.
Sew blue fabric and zipper around collar pieces.
Sew pockets on their places
Sew all Velcro patches (6) and holes (4) next. Sew NASA meatball patch directly on suit.
Optional: Sew “pockets” behind all holes you made. It can be done with the one seam you make around holes. Latter you can slip controllers (with larger round backing material) and other parts to these pockets and they will pop out from holes.

Sew main 3 zippers together and their surrounding fabric. You can cover zipper fabric with black silicone, for more realistic look.
Sew shoulder piece on back parts and shoulder seams.
Attack sleeves.

Klick image if you want to see it in bigger scale. All major parts and seams should be visible in these drawings.

Leg inner seams (knife pockets and strap between seam)
Side seams of torso and sleeve as one seam.
Side seams of pants (strap between)
Fold leg to shorts look and sew fold
Sew ankle seams.

Connect trousers to torso. Note that side seams are tilted back.
Cut zipper opening to front and attach zipper part with needles on its place and sew on.
Connect collar.
Tight wrist fabric around rings by hand.

Sew neoprene tube and sew it on cone made of raincoat material or something similar. Attack to inner side of neck ring.
Connect collar fabric to neck ring with screws. Note that there has to be space for special wire nuts.
Sew wire tube to neck ring rest saddle parts. Sew 2 pieces together and leave hole, where you can slip in cardboard or something else that will keeps its shape.
Connect saddle front and back with Velcro straps.
String wire to tubes you sew earlier and connect to neck ring with special nuts.
Sew necessary strap systems and sew it on the suit by hand.

Attach cooling garment sleeves to suit, unless you have made whole shirt.

All pocket zippers have black double string that helps grabbing.

If you dont want to make all hardware, shapeways sels this pressure suit regulator that will look perfect afer metallic coating.

My suit looks like this now. Helmet is still only half way done and I havet yet done hardware for left knee control unit. Some parts are also missing from neck ring.

If you compare to real suits, this has less wrinckles. If you want to make suit that looks even more realistic, you have to sew pressure suit.

How to get started:

Go to fleamarket or search your closets. You need pair of high rise pants that are 1-2 size too large to you. You need also shirt or straight jacket. Best shirts are from nineties when sleeves were wide and shoulders slightly dropped. Shirt should be 1-2 sizes too large. You will also need cheap unstrechy fabric.

You will need assistant and lots of needles.

Dress pants on and allow them to hang at least 5 cm. dress shirt on and needle it to pants. Cut fabric piece shaped as in the picture. It should go around your waist and when on you it should form 45 degrees angle from horizontal line. If firts one is not good, cut second piece where you have corrected all mistakes. Your assistant should needle this piece carefully to pants and shirt. Now take a pen and mark all seam places to pants and shirt. Ask your assistant cut hole to shirt back where you can get out. Now you can cut these garments to pieces and draw basic patterns out of them.

I have patterns I made in size S (fits also M size). I would exhange patterns drawn on paper to any helmet parts or other suit hardware parts.