Originally Posted by
tdracer
I recall that on several of the early Gemini program space walks where they tried performing some basic tasks, overheating was a huge issue - with visors fogging over and vision being impaired to the point where it was quite dangerous.
Although an impressive Space X effort, the jury is still out on if the spacesuits are up to the task of serious space activities.
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Yep, Ed White’s EVA (first by an American) was fairly straightforward and didn’t really reveal the potential pitfalls so NASA charged into planning some complex activities for those that followed and as you say rightly say ran into major problems.
At least one astronaut of that era has said that NASA were very lucky not to lose somebody due to heat exhaustion and extreme fatigue on at least one of the later Gemini EVAs.
The quick fix was to change the training, simplify the tasks, provide lots of foot and hand holds and take lots of breaks - that allowed Buzz Aldrin to perform a couple of successful EVAs on the last Gemini flight (something he often doesn’t get credit for).
Long term solution was liquid cooled undergarments as seen on Apollo and subsequent missions various.
BTW of course when I said air cooled in a post upthread I mention oxygen flow cooled.