According to Su Shuangning, chief designer of the astronaut support system under China's space program, intravehicular suits for Chinese astronauts are made of materials developed by China independently.

"In design, ours do not differ much from space suits made in Russia or the United States, but we have made a range of modifications in light of Chinese astronauts' physical and other conditions," said Su, who doubles as head of the team charged with developing the astronaut support system.

There are two types of space suits: intravehicular and extravehicular. The Chinese astronaut (or astronauts) will not step outside the capsule in the first space journey, and so only the intravehicular space suit is provided.

"The intravehicular space suit is also called the intravehicular pressurized suit," Su explained. "It is used to protect astronauts when accidents happen, say a leakage that causes the air pressure inside the spacecraft to plummet."

Should that happen, he continued, the astronaut can put on the suit and connect it to the oxygen and air supply systems aboard, making oxygen supply available and bringing inner-suit air pressure back to normal. "This will help the astronaut make a safe return," he said.

The home-produced space suit consists of three layers, according to the expert.

The outside protective layer is made of a fabric good enough to resist extreme temperatures and abrasion to protect inner layers. It also functions to ensure the suit be inflated in conformity with the preset shape for the comfort of the astronaut.

The airtight layer is made of a fabric coated with special materials, which prevents air leakage after pressurization. The cooling and ventilation layer diverts heat and vapor produced from human metabolism out of the space suit.

The helmet is made of a polycarbonate material. The helmet not only is heat- and sound-insulating, but also protects the astronaut from harm done by possible collisions. The helmet has a ventilation device and an anti-fogging coating on the visor.

The gloves are designed to fit the suit, with great flexibility and warming capability, according to Su.

An astronaut usually need not wear the space suit when the spaceship is orbiting. Su said the astronaut will put on the suit only when there are problems with the airtight security within the spaceship.

"Our space suit looks clumsy but an astronaut wont' find it difficult to put it on," Su assured Xinhua.

(China Daily October 15, 2003)