Allyn Hazzard's 1958 Proposed Moon Suit build

[Ooteedee]

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As a child I first saw it in a Time Life "Science Library" edition entitled "Man in Space". I always thought it would be fun to build it and then walk around town in it.

It was called The Lunar Exploration Suit - Model MK 1 (Space General Corporation) Designed by Allyn "Hap" Hazzard.

This thread is a basic documentation of it's build. It took about 5 months. It's made of aluminum bicycle rims, aluminum stock rails, pvc plastic sheeting, 10" rubberized ducting hose, galvanized ventilation ducting reducers, rubber muck boots, rubber gloves, Radio Flyer metal snow saucer, plastic snow saucer, metal fire pit basin, clear plexiglass sheeting, misc pvc plumbing, a scientific lab instrument purchased from the MSU recycle center, magnetic-base radio antennae, semi-truck marker lights, and other found objects.

It has a fully lit interior and a 20 watt wireless sound system that can play a custom edited 1.5 hour multi-track environmental soundtrack - comprised of instrumental music, select Apollo mission radio chatter, ambiant sound effects and more. It's on youtube but I don't want to post the link here. It's not a video of the suit. Search youtube for "External Ambiant Soundtrack - MK-1 Integrated Moonsuit"

I also created a vintage replica CCA headset with working two way microphones - connected to a separate externally facing speaker.

An article about the suit and how I built it appeared in the Lansing City Pulse. Houston, do you copy?

The attached images represent the build and the reference material I used to estimate it's dimensions.

I did not build it to coincide with the lunar landing anniversary.

The following paragraph is a nice summation of the original suit concept.

The Lunar Exploration Suit - Model MK 1
Space General Corporation
Designed by Allyn Hazzard




The Lunar Exploration Suit, Model MK 1 has been developed by Space General Corporation for travel across the surface of the moon. It resembles a shelter because it must carry its own life-support system wherever it goes. The basic suit assembly weighs 60 pounds on earth, 10 pounds on the moon. It will carry a two-week food supply weighing 30 pounds; a two-hour oxygen supply, 24 pounds; battery, 24 pounds; communication equipment, 12 pounds; reading and miscellaneous material, 12 pounds. With an 180- pound astronaut, this suit will total 342 earth- pounds and 57 moon-pounds.

Looking at this enormous suit from top to bottom, you see first a wide-domed headpiece with an identification light centered on top, V- shaped antennae, a built-in helmet camera and see-around faceplate that drops almost straight down to the shoulders to give the astronaut 360- degree vision. At collar height there is a bumper to protect the "windshield" and for another astronaut to grab in helping his buddy. At thigh level ground lights can be turned on. Boots are double-soled and vacuum-insulated.

The astronaut will maneuver the suit much like a small tank. As he walks, he will use his arms inside to help the shoulder harness support the suit. He will operate dials and knobs on the control panel below the windshield for his life- support functions, to control the suit's cooking facilities, tune his radio and operate electronic equipment. From his "dashboard" inside the suit, he will also be able to manipulate a ground- powered vehicle which will support him with additional oxygen and supplies during exploration. This "Moon mobile" is technically called the Lunar Exploration Vehicle (2 man) MK I. It has a 20-foot umbilical which delivers oxygen and power to the space suit. The astronaut may walk with the vehicle, or he may choose to ride. If he rides, he hooks himself onto one end of the Moon mobile with support trunnions located on each side of his space suit. A mechanism on the vehicle will lift him off the ground and carry him in an upright position at five miles an hour. Also, when supported by the vehicle, the astronaut can easily shift his weight much the same as in a lean-back chair. In this way he can tilt the suit horizontally for sleeping. It is padded down the back so as to be reasonably comfort- able under reduced lunar gravity. The multi- purpose support trunnions not only provide a means of support aboard the Moon mobile, but they can serve as a point of attachment for "flying belts." They can also be used to hoist this "detachable man-propelled cabin of a Moon- mobile" into the spaceship.

There are advantages to integrating the hard- shell space suit into the configuration of a vehicle such as a Moon mobile. If the astronaut must move away from his supply vehicle, the umbilical can be disconnected. Then the suit's self- contained oxygen and power supply will permit it to operate independently until the oxygen is used. In exploration missions this is important. When each crewman is contained within his own suit. the failure of one will not affect the others, In this way space clothing will provide each astronaut a better chance for survival.​

 

[Mike J.]

Wow – that is fantastic! I just saw some video on YouTube of a model kit of one of these suits being built. It's great to see a lot of off-the-beaten-path stuff like this. Brilliant use of simple, found materials like the bicycle rims, too.

 

[Ooteedee]

Thanks!
I researched that model kit and referenced it for proportions. It’s very small.

My suit actually could be about 3-5% bigger. Its a very tight fit.

I love off beat stuff, too.

Part of the appeal of a project like this is ... you tend to start seeing the parts that you need .... everywhere you look... just by keeping it in your head at all times. You always come across something you need accidentally.

Although, you can come across something “accidentally” when someone else suggests an idea. The bike rims were a perfect example. I thought of all kinds of different things to do that didnt work .... until a bike rider friend suggested the rims. It was a perfect solution. I found several sizes given to me free at a bike shop. I could never find 34 or 36 inch rims. Which I think would’ve made a difference as far as fit. I ended up cutting out sections of similar rims and adding them others to make larger circles.

 

[BrianM]

I love this. Had the Major Matt Mason version in the 60's. Great Idea building it full scale.