X-Nico

3 unusual facts about David Clark Company


David Clark Company

It developed partial pressure suits for NASA's Bell X-1 rocket-powered research aircraft in the 1940s, and full pressure suits for the D558-2 and North American X-15 research aircraft in the 1950s.

In 2008, David Clark Company, along with its subsidiary, Air-Lock, Inc. of Milford, Connecticut, partnered with Houston, Texas based Oceaneering Space Systems to develop the Constellation Space Suit System (CSSS) for use on the upcoming Constellation program.

The S1034 PPA has since become the USAF and DoD standard pressure suit and served as the basis for NASA's S1035 Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES).


Constellation Space Suit

The design of the suit was announced by NASA on June 11, 2008, and it will be manufactured by Houston, Texas-based Oceaneering International, the first company other than the David Clark Company, Hamilton Sundstrand, and ILC Dover (and, before 1964, B.F. Goodrich) to produce life-support hardware, as a prime contractor, for in-flight space use.


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