Texarkana Man Designs NASA Spacesuits for Return to Moon, Mars

Texarkana, Texas native Terry Hill is working on the new spacesuit design that will be used on future NASA exploration missions. Hill is NASA’s engineering project manager for the Constellation Program’s spacesuit system, which will include elements from the Apollo-era suits and all the other spacesuits throughout NASA’s history, as well as completely new technologies.

Hill was brought onto the Constellation Program in 2005, to lead the team which will design the spacesuit system that will be used for the different missions of the program. The Constellation Program is developing new spacecraft to carry humans to the International Space Station, the moon and beyond.

Hill said the goal of his work is to come up with one suit system that can be used for all aspects of the mission, including launch, spacewalks – or moonwalks – landing and other hazardous mission phases. The spacesuit system Hill is working on will have interchangeable parts to allow astronauts to adapt the suit to different aspects of the mission.

“It’s like picking one outfit from your closet and using it for everything from scuba diving to rock climbing,” Hill said.

Hill’s work on the spacesuit system will be completed in time for the launch of the Orion crew capsule and the Altair Lunar Lander, slated for 2015 and 2020. The Constellation Program is a direct investment in the future of science and technology and a source of national pride, Hill said.

Hill attended K-12 in Liberty-Eylau Independent School District and went to college at Texarkana College and the University of Texas at Austin where he received his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and his master’s degree in aerospace guidance, navigation and control theory. Hill enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons and daughter.

Hill is featured in the Stars of Constellation Web site, designed to show off the different projects and jobs that are contributing to the overall success of the Constellation Program. Video of Hill’s work on the spacesuit system, along with other profiles of America’s next generation of explorers, can be found on the Web at:

www.nasa.gov/constellation/stars

For more information on NASA visit: http://www.nasa.gov/