Staying Alive: The Sokol Spacesuit

Discover the brief history of spacesuits from the earliest pressure suits worn by aviators in the 1930s to the state of the art used on the way to and from (as well as outside) the International Space Station. 

You'll get a chance to see an actual Russian Sokol Spacesuit, with a demonstration of its features and its use.  Made in great numbers, Sokol is the most commonly used spacesuit and is described by its makers as a rescue suit. It cannot protect a cosmonaut if used outside the spacecraft in a spacewalk or extra-vehicular activity.

The Sokol spacesuit (Russian: Сокол, "Falcon") is a type of Russian spacesuit worn by all who fly on the Soyuz spacecraft. It was introduced in 1973 and is still used today.