NASA Unveils New Space Suit for Mars

NASA’s newly revealed Z-2 space suit is the astronaut apparel of the future. It is the second mock-up of a suit that NASA hopes will eventually protect explorers walking on Mars or drilling into an asteroid. Space suit design is predicated on where one is going and what they'll be doing.

The Z-2’s most important features is its lower-body flexibility, which allows astronauts to walk, climb and crouch to explore extraterrestrial landscapes. By November, NASA should have a prototype ready for testing, complete with Tron-like, blue luminescent patches that were selected by the public in an Internet poll. Unfortunately, those aesthetics won’t appear on the final version of the suit, which NASA hopes to have ready for launch by 2018.

The Z-Series is NASA's line of prototype spacesuits geared at planetary exploration. They are designed to contain portable life support systems; be quick to put on and take off; and maximize astronaut dexterity in both planetary and micro-gravity environments. The previous iteration, the Z-1, was white in color with big, green neon strips