Morphing: A Novel Approach to Astronaut Suit Sizing

The fitting of a spacesuit to an astronaut requires an iterative process consisting of two parts. The first uses anthropometric data to provide an estimate of the suit components that will fit the astronaut. The second part is the subjective fitting, where small adjustments are made based on the astronaut’s preference. The goals of this project were twofold, (1) To evaluate the effectiveness of a newly developed automated sizing algorithm for the Mark III Hybrid suit and (2) to use a morphing program to determine if additional components are needed in order to provide adequate sizing for the existing astronaut population. By providing an estimate of the correct suit components, the entire fit process time can be reduced significantly.