Russian Spacesuits [Paperback]

This is the very first inside story of a key part of the Soviet manned space programme, detailing the development of Soviet/Russian spacesuits. The authors, as participants in the programme, provide details of events, previously unknown in the West, including their technical development. These space suits were an important part of the many Soviet firsts in the space race  Yuri Gagarins flight, Valentina Tereskova, the first woman in space, the first space walk by Alexei Leonov, and the first transfer on orbit from one spacecraft to another.

All previous books on Soviet manned space flights focus on the spacecraft and cosmonaut teams. This book provides a total overview of the successful Soviet/Russian development of space suits and subsequent space walks from Vostok to MIR and ISS.

Preface.- Introduction and Background.- How Space Full Pressure Suits Came About.- Time Period Preceding The Space Mission Era.- The Vostok Era.- The First Eva Suit.- EVA Suit for the Soyuz-4 and Soyuz-5 Mission.- The Space Suit for the USSR Manned Lunar Programme.- The Sojus IVA Programme.- The Salyut/Mir EVA Suits.- The EVA Space Suit Evolution.- The Buran Programme.- The Human Physiological Aspects of EVA.- Future Lunar and Mars Concepts.- The People Behind the Soviet/Russian Spacesuits.- Annexes.

From the reviews:

It is an important contribution to the literature of manned space flight. The authors cover a lot of ground in this detailed book, from pre-space age high-altitude pressure suits to the Sokol and Orian suits used on present-day Soyuz/ISS missions. & There are several appendices, including full-page photos and technical descriptions of each suit type & . A first-rate book for anyone interested in the more technical aspects of space flight. (Liftoff, Issue 225, January-February, 2005)

The book is intended as a documentary history of space suit development, and covers the slƒ<