Elon Musk posted a first look on Instagram Wednesday at the SpaceX spacesuit designed by to be worn on the SpaceX Dragon capsule during trips to the International Space Station.
Musk noted in the caption that the suit “actually works” and has been tested in a double vacuum. It wasn’t easy for SpaceX to make the suit look good and work well too, Musk said.
“Was incredibly hard to balance esthetics and function. Easy to do either separately,” Musk commented.
The suit is not made for spacewalking, Geekwire reported, and is noticeably trimmer than the EVA suits worn by astronauts who leave the space station or shuttle for exploration or to complete missions in outer space.
The suit includes a helmet and connected jumpsuit in black and white.
SpaceX plans to begin using the suits for the Dragon’s first crew next year, Geekwire reported. SpaceX plans to send humans to space independently by 2025, and is modifying the Dragon to carry a crew now.
Musk promised more photos of the spacesuit in the coming days.
Boeing revealed new blue and gray spacesuits seven months ago, and also plans to begin carrying astronauts to the space station on its Starliner ship next year as part of a NASA initiative.
The stylish SpaceX suit is in keeping with the Dragon’s touchscreens and comfortable bucket seats, which may have been designed similarly to Musk's Teslas.
Twitter users were appropriately wowed, and complimented the design.