Dec 21, 2012 3:45 PM

Who Wore It Better: Spacesuits From NASA vs. the Movies

NASA recently unveiled a prototype spacesuit, the Z-1, to be used by astronauts in deep-space missions. Everyone with eyeballs immediately noticed the similarity between the agency's idea and the character of Buzz Lightyear from Pixar's Toy Story movies. Here, we take a look at several spacesuits from NASA's pioneering manned programs and contrast them with those from sci-fi films of the same era.

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z-1-vs-buzz-lightyear-2

NASA recently unveiled a prototype spacesuit, the Z-1, to be used by astronauts on deep-space missions. Everyone with eyeballs immediately noticed the similarity between the agency’s idea and the character of Buzz Lightyear from Pixar’s Toy Story movies. Spacesuits have a long and varied history, both at NASA and in science fiction. While sometimes the design from one is meant to evoke a style from the other, this latest spacesuit appears to be the most blatant. Here, we take a look at several spacesuits from NASA’s pioneering manned programs and contrast them with those from sci-fi films of the same era. It’s up to you to tell us who is stealing whose concept and which example seems superior. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments. Above:

Z-1 vs. Buzz Lightyear

NASA says their prototype spacesuits would incorporate a number of technology advances to make them easier to put on, while improving safety during spacewalks and potential surface activities. Buzz seems to have them beaten, already going to infinity and beyond. Image: NASA/Pixar