posted 06-02-2007 04:41 PM               

Are there any websites that are directly related to the flight garments used on Skylab (I have already been to the general Skylab sites)?

Who was the manufacturer of the garments used by the astronauts of Skylab?

posted 06-02-2007 09:16 PM               

Eventually, the Skylab astronauts all agreed on a clothing set. It contained cotton T-shirts for warm weather wear, and provisioned a change of underwear every two days and of outerwear once a week. The outerwear was made of a fireproof cloth, polybenzemidazole (called PBI; "We couldn't pronounce it either," quipped Kerwin) that only came in a golden brown. But it was comfortable. Rejected were the proposed small-bore fiberglass (called "beta cloth") items, which itched.

PBI was originally developed for the United States Air Force after a fire aboard an Apollo spacecraft killed three astronauts in 1967. The Air Force selected PBI because its superior thermal performance provided more burn protection than competitive fibers. NASA used PBI as part of the astronauts' clothing on Apollo, Skylab and numerous space shuttle flights. PBI became commercially available in 1983, when the production plant went on stream.

posted 02-28-2016 03:14 PM               

Astronaut clothing for early space flight missions was designed principally to meet the requirements of biomedical instrumentation, pressure-suit operations, communications equipment, nonflammability, and null gravity. The influence of aircraft flight garments was noticeable in the preference for one-piece garments, location of pockets, and insignia. Little attention was given to styling. For Skylab, comfort and overall appearance received increased consideration. However, the garments were compromised by flammability constraints. The wardrobe was expanded to include a nonflammable jacket, a knit shirt, trousers, conventional cotton T-shirts, undershorts, and socks.

The conventional pants/shirt/jacket combination proved to be convenient for the same reasons that the combination is convenient on Earth: easy adjustment to different temperatures, ease in donning and doffing, less sensitivity to fit, and waste management convenience.

Knitted or elastic cuffs inside the sleeves and pant legs were intended to prevent the sleeves and pant legs from riding up. Several crewmembers removed the cuffs and noted that only occasionally was it necessary to shake their sleeves or pant legs back into place. However, other crewmembers seemed to prefer the cuffs.

Clothing became soiled mostly from the wearer's body, not from the spacecraft. The outer garments could be worn much longer than anticipated and the converse was true of the underwear. Too many outer garments were provided but not enough underwear and socks were included in the clothing budget.

The outer shirt was knitted of a nonflammable synthetic fiber called Durette. When it was worn without a T-shirt underneath, it quickly developed a particularly offensive odor.

There was no requirement for protective headgear. Lightly padded, soft, bump hats were furnished but not used.

Pockets were especially useful in Skylab. Pockets provided one of the few places to temporarily stow and carry small articles. Skylab experience indicates that pockets deserve more engineering attention than they usually receive. The location and nature of pockets for use in space flight should be somewhat different than on Earth. The pockets should be deep enough to close over items and the pocket should close simply and naturally. Pockets on the lower part of the pant legs are not readily accessible. Additional bulk on the lower legs compounds the mobility problem.

posted 02-28-2016 09:26 PM               

Much of the onboard-placed items did pertain to each of the visiting 3 Skylab astronaut teams, even though it would be months later when the last two Skylab crews entered the OWS. Some of the Skylab crews' personal items — clothing included — were already onboard the orbital space station long before needed/used by their designated crewmembers.

posted 07-05-2018 09:09 PM               

I purchased this Skylab jacket from a gentleman in Houston. It belonged to the late Charles Conrad, but I haven't seen anything like it documented elsewhere. It's an exact copy of the standard, tan Skylab crew jackets, but made in dark brown.

The Part Number is the same as found on Jack Lousma's flown Skylab 4 jacket (SEB13100141-301). It was manufactured 11 days after Lind's flown Skylab 4 jacket was made. The Contract Number matches other flown and non-flown Skylab uniform articles, such as boots and slippers, but the S/N says "NON FLIGHT".

Has anyone else seen a dark brown Skylab clothing article like this? The only part of it that matches the color of the usual Skylab attire are the elastic cuffs.