Mercury-era space suit
Project Mercury was the first US space program which aimed to place a spacecraft into Earth's orbit. Development of the Mercury suits began in 1959. NASA selected B.F. Goodrich for the design, which was essentially a modified US Navy's Mark IV high-altitude pressure suit
Snug-fitting and limited in their mobility, the pressurized suits evolved to include jointed breaks to better facilitate movement in the shoulders, knees, and elbows.
Amanda Young of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Collection said, "The fabric was made by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. (3M), and the silver color came from an aluminized powder coating glued to the green nylon fabric used for the exterior layer, prior to suit construction. Unfortunately, during the intervening years, this coating has in most instances, worn away. Many of these early spacesuits now have brown and green patches where the aluminized coating has deteriorated and the glue and nylon have begun to show through, and give the appearance of being 'rusty.'"
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