Flagsuit LLC Delivers First Commercial Space Suit Gloves

Flagsuit LLC, a new startup founded by NASA Astronaut Glove Challenge winner Peter Homer, shipped their first commercially produced space suit gloves to Los Angeles-based Orbital Outfitters last month under a joint development agreement. The gloves are designed to be used with the Industrial Suborbital Space Suit-Crew (IS3C) which was unveiled by Orbital Outfitters in October 2007. The gloves will be used for integrated suit testing and evaluation, and feature a patent-pending joint design that makes the fingers more flexible under pressure, increasing dexterity while reducing hand fatigue. The gloves are manufactured using a new process that eliminates time consuming adjustments to adapt the fit to the wearer’s hands, producing a ready-to-wear garment that literally “fits like a glove.” Flagsuit is currently implementing a preliminary production capability with support from the Maine Technology Institute.

Orbital Outfitters announced the collaboration with Homer last November. “Orbital Outfitters is committed to making the best performing and best looking commercial space suits available, without the premium price tag,” says CEO Jeff Feige. “Flagsuit is helping us realize that goal.” Orbital Outfitters has a contract to deliver emergency pressure suits for a piloted suborbital vehicle being developed by XCOR Aerospace of Mojave, CA, among others and will be conducting tests on the suit in a near vacuum this summer.

The commercial space suit gloves delivered last month are direct descendants of the design that won the 2007 NASA Challenge. “We haven’t lost sight of how we got started,” said Flagsuit founder Peter Homer. “The goal of the NASA Centennial Challenges is to spur development of needed technologies by using prize competitions to encourage private investment. Through our work on the commercial side of the market, Flagsuit is advancing innovations such as ‘Made to Fit’ up the technology readiness curve at no cost to NASA. Combined with our flexible joint technology, this will bring tremendous value to NASA as well as to our commercial partners.” Flagsuit and Orbital Outfitters will continue to work together to refine the design of gloves and other space suit elements.

ABOUT FLAGSUIT LLC:

Flagsuit LLC was founded in 2007 to commercialize technology developed for the winning entry in the 2007 NASA Astronaut Space Suit Glove Competition. Based in coastal Maine, the company is focused on streamlining the production of “Made to Fit” elements for suborbital and future planetary space suits.

For more information, please call 207/229-3795, or visit www.flagsuit.com.

ABOUT ORBITAL OUTFITTERS/XTREME SPACE, INC.:

Founded in 2006, headquartered in Washington, D.C., and with additional operations in Los Angeles, Orbital Outfitters is an XTreme Space, Inc. (a California Corporation) affiliated company that develops, designs and produces spacesuits for the next generation of human Space flight. “Have Spacesuit — Will Travel,” from the famous Robert Heinlein novel, is the tagline of Orbital Outfitters, which is doing just that – making sure a new generation of commercial civilian Space travelers, adventurers and explorers will fly in style and safety in spacesuits like none ever designed before.

For more information, please call 202/546-8074 or visit www.orbitaloutfitters.com.