NASA Astronauts Get Cool New Gear We Don't Mind Paying For

NASA has been trying to update their space travel equipment since they retired their iconic Space Shuttle. They recently unveiled some designs of what they hope will be their next generation of spacesuits for their astronauts and it looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie.
The new Z-2 spacesuit is the result of a design challenge in which the space agency enlisted the public’s help to create the look for their new spacesuit. The new suit, dubbed the “Technology,” earned more than 63 percent of the public’s vote. NASA hopes that the new suit will overcome some of the restrictions of their old suit design. The most noticeable change, for instance, is the helmet. It replaces the shielded helmet with a protective glass bubble that gives the astronaut a 360-degree view of their surroundings. It also offers astronauts a softer upper torso that should feel more comfortable on space walks or traverses on an alien planet. They even have a Tron-esque, glowing light display for those times when an astronaut is accidentally stuck on the dark side of the moon.
Of course, design means nothing if the suit doesn’t work. NASA is currently building the suits and will start conducting tests with the first prototypes later in November. However, they’ve actually done a pretty good job with the look of the suit. This could be the first step to getting the public interested in space travel again without having to warn the public about a race of chest-bursting alien species planning an invasion of the Earth.