spacesuit

American  

[spays-soot] / ˈspeɪsˌsut /

Or space suit

noun

1. a sealed and pressurized suit designed to allow the wearer to leave a pressurized cabin in outer space or at extremely high altitudes within the atmosphere.

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spacesuit British  

/ ˈspeɪsˌsuːt, -ˌsjuːt /

noun

1. any of various types of sealed and pressurized suits worn by astronauts or cosmonauts that provide an artificial atmosphere, acceptable temperature, radiocommunication link, and protection from radiation for work outside a spacecraft

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Etymology

Origin of spacesuit

First recorded in 1935–40; space + suit

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Explanation

The specially pressurized garment an astronaut wears is a spacesuit. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first walked on the moon, they were wearing spacesuits. The word spacesuit first appeared in print around 1920, long before astronauts were actually wearing them during space travel in the 1960s. These are suits worn in space, but they're not just outfits but are designed to keep people alive in the harsh conditions of outer space, including extreme temperatures and air pressure. Spacesuits also have their own supply of oxygen and a communication system. If you're traveling to Mars, you'll definitely need a spacesuit for the trip.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spacesuit

Last year, SpaceX looked into creating a spacesuit for Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus, a person familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

The Blue Origin spacecraft will also carry an instrumented lunar surface spacesuit mass simulator.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

His blue spacesuit has a mission patch he commissioned Anishinaabe artist Henry Guimond to design, with contributions from Dave Courchene III of Sagkeeng First Nation, Manitoba.

From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2026

In these recordings, you can hear the back-and-forth chatter, along with the astronaut’s breathing and the background noise of their spacesuit pumping oxygen into their helmet to keep them alive.

From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2025

Two days later, backup Irina and first candidate Valentina suited up in full gear, an orange pressurized spacesuit and helmet.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson

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