This flight suit belonged to the cosmonaut Victor Savinikh, and he wore it during his space flight with Vladimir Dzhanibekov on the fourth main expedition to the Salyut-7 space station from June 6 to November 21, 1985. The goal of the expedition was to return the space station, which had been out of control since February 1985, to full operating condition. Victor Savinikh and Vladimir Dzhanibekov performed what is considered to be one of the most dangerous operations in the whole history of the Russian space program. The circumstances of the accident and the repair work that was carried out are described in detail in the book ‘Notes from a dead space station’, based on the notes that Savinikh made in his diary.
This space suit for use when working on a space station is a blue jumpsuit with long arms and pockets on the chest and thighs. There is a white zip fastening from the throat to the groin area. The belt area is fitted with a white string to draw in the suit around the waist. On the breast and shoulders, there are colored sewn-on badges with insignia and the abbreviation EO-4 (Main Expedition No. 4).
These jump suits are individually made to measure for each cosmonaut. They are made using only natural fibers, mostly pure high-quality cotton. Sometimes synthetic fibers are used in the manufacture of outer clothing. The material needs to be non-toxic, odorless, and non-allergenic. Before it is worn in orbit, the space clothing undergoes strict quality control - it is tested by staff at the Institute for Biomedical Problems to ensure it does not generate static electricity and that it is hygienic. The jumpsuit has many pockets, since in orbit cosmonauts are always needing to secure items that they are working with so that they do not just float away. Buttons are not used when making clothes for cosmonauts, as in space they can become detached and start floating around the spacecraft or space station, and could get into equipment or be inhaled by the cosmonauts. That is why zips, velcro or press-studs are normally used for fastenings. From a psychological perspective, the color used is of great importance. The most popular colors are various shades of green and blue, which normally have a calming effect on people. Red, which is normally associated with danger, is much less frequently used in clothes for cosmonauts. Since, as yet, there is no possibility to wash clothes in space, the clothes worn by cosmonauts are disposable. One set of clothes is intended to last 3 days. The used clothes, rubbish and sanitary waste is then loaded into the cargo vessel, which, when full, separates from the space station and falls back towards Earth, burning up entirely in the atmosphere as it descends.
This space suit for use when working on a space station is a blue jumpsuit with long arms and pockets on the chest and thighs. There is a white zip fastening from the throat to the groin area. The belt area is fitted with a white string to draw in the suit around the waist. On the breast and shoulders, there are colored sewn-on badges with insignia and the abbreviation EO-4 (Main Expedition No. 4).
These jump suits are individually made to measure for each cosmonaut. They are made using only natural fibers, mostly pure high-quality cotton. Sometimes synthetic fibers are used in the manufacture of outer clothing. The material needs to be non-toxic, odorless, and non-allergenic. Before it is worn in orbit, the space clothing undergoes strict quality control - it is tested by staff at the Institute for Biomedical Problems to ensure it does not generate static electricity and that it is hygienic. The jumpsuit has many pockets, since in orbit cosmonauts are always needing to secure items that they are working with so that they do not just float away. Buttons are not used when making clothes for cosmonauts, as in space they can become detached and start floating around the spacecraft or space station, and could get into equipment or be inhaled by the cosmonauts. That is why zips, velcro or press-studs are normally used for fastenings. From a psychological perspective, the color used is of great importance. The most popular colors are various shades of green and blue, which normally have a calming effect on people. Red, which is normally associated with danger, is much less frequently used in clothes for cosmonauts. Since, as yet, there is no possibility to wash clothes in space, the clothes worn by cosmonauts are disposable. One set of clothes is intended to last 3 days. The used clothes, rubbish and sanitary waste is then loaded into the cargo vessel, which, when full, separates from the space station and falls back towards Earth, burning up entirely in the atmosphere as it descends.
