Space suits are usually shiny, what does this do to the speed that the astonauts gain or lose thermal energy?

Answer 1

G'day Krazy but kewl,

Thank you for your question.

The suits are designed to reflect heat to stop the astronaut absorbing too much heat. They have been developed following many hours of testing. The white clothing is Mylar or white fabric. They are insulated with fabrics such as Neoprene, Gore-Tex or Dacron.

I have attached sources for your reference.

Regards

Answer 2

In the vacuum of space, near the Earth, it's very hot in direct sunlight and very cold in the shade. A space suit is shiny because good reflectors neither radiate nor absorb heat very well. Same as a vacuum flask; it keeps hot things hot and cold things cold. So a shiny space suit helps to keep you at a constant temperature. But this is backed up with an air conditioning system in the life support pack on your back.

Answer 3

The reflectivity of the suit is only part of the problem. Standing on the moon the sunny side is about 300 deg. and the shady side is -250. What makes it work is a suit that looks like an external circulatory system. this equalizes the temperature.

Answer 4

Hi. Being shiny means that most solar energy (the only heat source worth mentioning) is reflected. The object is to control temps inside the suit, so reducing absorption should help stabilize the temps.

Answer 5

to reflect the sunlight so the astronaut wont get too hot. sunlight in space is very intense.