The materials used in space suits are very diverse and serve multiple purposes. They
protect against the known hazards of space such as solar and galactic radiation along with micrometeoroid impacts, but they also need to ensure that the occupants are securely encapsulated within
a pressurized system that provides a constant flow of oxygen, body cooling, and all of the mobility they need to safely and efficiently carry out their tasks. The development of early space suits
came at a time when DuPont was producing many advanced materials for common use that would
ultimately find their way into these suits. Materials such as Mylar worked to reflect the radiation,
whereas Nomex and then Beta cloth provided protection against high temperatures. Nylon helped
to hold the suits together under internal pressures without elongating, whereas spandex did elongate
and comfortably encapsulated the wearer with 300 feet of polyvinyl tubing that contained the flow
of cold water for the removal of body heat. This miniature space ship had to allow the elbows to
flex and the lower torso to walk. Current space suits still use many of these materials, and improved
versions of these are used in advanced space suits.