I don’t blame the man. Every air tight suit has that issue, it can really freak you out, especially when you know you can’t take it off. Good on him though. He held it together pretty well.
What I really liked about this segment is the honesty of it. I also like the realistic Anglo American interactions. Everyone is courteous and professional. That is how it should be and typically is among us adults. We are better Separate working Together than if we were still Together working to be Separate. I've never had anything but a good interaction with a British professional in business here or there and in casual travel most of the time.
Did you just drop some really casual, non-aggressive racism? I swear you just advocated for the separation of races due to the fact that we can't get along, even though some of the "Anglo Americans" in the video weren't white. I just needed to make sure since it really surprised me.
@@Profile__1 I'm pretty sure he was referring to "Anglo-Americans" culturally, not racially. I believe he meant that people from a similar Anglo culture (Americans & Brits regardless of race) work together quite well due to their history together.
I read there was one test pilot training to fly the SR-71 who was almost qualified, but when he first put on the suit he freaked out panicking from the claustrophobia and it took several men to restrain him while they got the suit off. Needless to say he was discontinued from the SR-71 program and in the future trying on the suit was made mandatory far earlier in the process.
I know he gets the Capt. Slow and other ribbing from the chaps on the show, but James is one of the most skilled and tough people on the planet. So when he's freaking out, it's a thing. Good on ya James.
@@JTFROG Not really. The other fully trained fella said he was a lot worse, and even vomitted. James wasn't that bad. Did better than the professional in this first instance.
I was feeling very claustrophobic just watching them putting that helmet on him, I know that there is no way anyone could talk me into doing that! You're a brave man James!
James so under rates himself. Easily one of the most engaging and entertaining people on television. His whole persona is so accessible, you just feel like you're watching somebody you know personally.
Why are you still doing this 1286 B.C. shit, David? The rest of us caught the elevator into Trump Tower last week to witness the end of Civilisation from the Penthouse on the 3rd floor. Come, join us, and stop using RUclips for sending these messages. It's meant to be hush hush.
The pilot will see the curvature of the earth which shows one of the final frontiers. 😊 This is besides the dream of flying the reward for every second of training.
As someone who has worn a Level A Fully Encapsulated and Level B Hazmat suit with a SCBA I know that feeling. It happens to many people and nothing to be embarrassed about.
I sound exactly like that when having a panic attack. Panic attacks aren't always crying and screaming, sometimes they do manifest as that flat, emotionless sound. He was clearly very distressed, because he was on the verge of tears.
A bit ironic that I decided to start watching top gear and James may programs to help me forget my current panic attacks.......Thanks a lot James!......but all respect to you for completing the filming.
I was a commercial diver, wearing a close fitting helmet takes a bit of getting used to. So hats off to him for getting it together and making that flight. PS: I used to wear a do rag or watch cap and tuck my hair up so it did not get caught in the helmet seal with the neck dam.
I started freaking out just wearing a full face motorcycle helmet one time. I loved riding motorcycles, and wearing a helmet went along with the whole package. I think the problem was the ambient air temp was so warm, I couldn't feel cool air going through my airway, so I felt like I couldn't breathe. I was almost yelling as a tore my helmet off.
Good job being very honest about that claustrophobic experience. I always wondered how people can stand that for an extended period of time. You can not run your face etc and has all the material tightly around your head. And now imaging water and oil gets into your eyes and you cannot do anything. Tough job.
I had a similar experience when training scuba diving, whenever I had to take off my goggles while down under I would lose control of my breathing and start freaking out. I think it has something to do with the loss of the seal on your nose and the fact that it's much harder to see.
It's a common reaction. The guy from Austria who did the parachute jump, nearly couldn't do it for the same reasons. He worked hard at overcoming the anxiety of it. Not sure how I would do either. The worst part is sitting there for about 4 hours I think? You have to purge all the nitrogen out of your body before you hit altitude in case there is a cabin depressurization, otherwise you'd get a serious case of the bends, possibly even die.
Remember feeling real uneasy when doing industrial confined space training. Was done using Fire Brigade BA. Went through how to put in on, adjust and tighten the straps, open the air supply tank etc. Was then put into the test situation, which was to go into a simulation fuel storage tank, which was then filled with smoke. At which point we had to put the BA on, seal it up, and then find and crawl through a pitch black tunnel (couldnt even see hand right in front of you) to simulate pipework of 30" daimeter. Knowing you cant take it off sure made you get your arse in gear and get out quick lol. Also another time when working in the alkylation cracking plant in an oil refinery. Due to HF acid vapours in the air, a full rubber chemical suit and BA had to be worn, that was real unsettling onowing that if it even so much as leaked and the vapour got in, theyd pretty much burn your lungs right out of your chest, or if the acid itself came into contact with yoir skin of an area of 5-6 sqr inches, the effect can be fatal if not dealt with VERY quickly ie within seconds.
I'm not an astronaut but I use to work for a catalyst company and we had to do this kind of training and it is kind of scary when your oxygen is no more available
Im one of those weirdos who had no issue with SCBA, even the confidence course was fun, just a dark jungle gym basically. The thing that got me initially was the rappelling, being 7 stories up and leaning over the edge to me was worse.
When I became a firefighter, I had to take my respirator mask (no tank) home with me and wear it around the house in order to get used to breathing differently. You usually can’t see what you’re doing in a place that’s on fire; there’s no electricity and the smoke is dense. So, not feeling like to can breathe as deeply and as often as you’d like and not knowing what’s around you really increases the claustrophobic feeling.
still kind of crazy to me how our space tech seems so archaic compared to the rest of modern technology, I know it is a lot to do with safety measures and functional adaptability to existing technology (which has been around since the 60s) but aesthetically it all looks more steam age than space age. I am sure the tech inside the suit is second to none, but it has the appearance of something so far out of date that it is hard to believe. new challenge: develop a space suit that is both functional and modern in appearance and secure funding from the generation of useful idiots that like expensive fancy looking stuff (IE the iPhone crowd)
NASA's designs are from the nuclear age, which technically was part of the steam age - nuclear engines are a type of steam engine, after all. In matters of space flight, safety is first. You would use an old and reliable design that has stood the test of time rather than invest in something new and fancy, not matter how promising, without a pressing need. The challenge of devising more aesthetic space suits has been accepted by Elon Musk and SpaceX years ago. The goal seems to be to develop something like the space suits from Rocket Girls, but they are still in development.
There are functional reasons to improve on these designs though. The space suits used for space walks are quite cumbersome, because they are basically an inflated bag full of air. This makes the suit stiff and unwieldy due to air pressure alone, plus you then need a lot of protection, because a suit puncture is very bad, due to loss of both oxygen and pressure, and a leak anywhere in the suit can cause both those problems. One of the things I've seen that are under development would seem to be more like a rubber or elastic suit. Rather than pressurising the body with air, the fabric itself applies the pressure through elastic force and the like. Obviously development of radical new concepts take a long time in something so safety critical, but the advantages are numerous. Since it means only the helmet still has pressurised air in it, you can't get air leaks due to punctures except near the head. A puncture or tear in the suit would be bad for the skin in the immediate region around the tear, but would have little effect on the pressure of the suit (since that's provided directly, and not via air pressure), or the oxygen levels since there is no oxygen in the bulk of the suit anyway. Not having oxygen in the suit also means the suit doesn't need to form such a strong pressure seal, and can be made with thinner, more flexible layers, plus the lack of air makes the whole thing more flexible in and of itself. The end result is a suit that is lighter, more flexible, easier to work in, and less vulnerable to catastrophic damage. The problem with it is that it's a serious technical challenge developing a suit layer that provides an appropriate degree of pressure to all the parts in the human body suitable to keeping you in one piece if you are exposed to a vacuum. After all, it's the elasticity and design of the suit in this case that would have to provide all the pressure, rather than using air to provide pressure, and the suit being designed to keep the air inside of it. If and when such suits go into use, you'll probably end up seeing much thinner, less bulky and more sleek/sci-fi kind of suit designs, but for now it's best to stick with what works reliably, because there's no point in radical redesigns unless they have massive practical benefits.
With an elastic-type suit, wouldn't the wearer be subjected to twice the pressure of earth's atmosphere when first suiting up before they enter the vacuum of space?
Pominator Even with our modern technology, the place that has really allude man has been the deep sea. Which makes the way we do deep sea exploration, even more archaic...
James May is quite honestly my spirit animal, like I mean I'm not claustrophobic but if I was literally dying on air I'd probably act just as polite and thoughtfully spoken as he did
I had training in HAZMAT with SCBA. Something about the first time you have your face totally enclosed and hearing every breath you take makes it super easy to start unconsciously hyperventilating. I remember getting dizzy and nauseous the first time I was totally geared up.
+orange42 that and the restricted head movement. depending on the type snorkel if you move your head wrong you can get a mouth full of water or suddenly you snorkel closes most people do get used to it though.
Yes it's a similar problem. (Although snorkeling is probably the easiest of all). Having your head or face covered in a mask, and your airways restricted by a breathing apparatus is a nightmare for some people. Source: Been doing both scuba and commercial diving, with various masks and helmets. Seen beginners who totally freaked out and had to be rescued.
I was going to say, how could you not have a massive panic attack being entombed in all that gear. I was starting to freak out just watching him go through it. Sad they can't come up with a less claustrophobic get up. Yikes! 🙀😰😭
And pilots have to wear this thing in a cramped 1-meter by-70 cm-wide cockpit at 80,000 feet over hostile territory, where they risk getting busted and shot down at any time. And if that's not hard enough, they then somehow, through unexplainable miracles of modern science and technology, calculate their way back to a 2 km long 10-meter wide strip of tarmac to land on. Bugger me. That takes the right stuff.
Yeah, you're probably correct this million dollars space suit was really just a flight jacket, but he's watched too many episodes of ancient aliens, opps.............NASA failed again
This video is best served at youtube's double speed setting and muted while in another tab you play Could This Be by Noisia. Start the Noisia track and hit play on this video when the Noisia track is 10 seconds in.
I once had an anxiety and panic attack due to (just) a visual stimulus. I have extreme claustrophobia. If i even think about getting stuck in small spaces, i start to get anxious.
I remember once riding on a motorway on my motorbike and having a similar experience - it's not pleasant, you have to basically move you attention away from your experience to distract yourself from the mini-freakout/panic attack going on in your mind because the more you notice it the more you freak out.
Totally get that. First time I drove a race car, I got my helmet on, did up the chin strap, got belted in super tight, and then the guys belting me in all stepped away. What got me was the limited peripheral vision and the rather limited range of motion that my arms had due to the seatbelts being done up so tightly and my shoulders being jammed up against the cockpit surround. Definitely a moment of claustrophobia!
I wouldn't like it very much, either !! I'm not particularly claustrophobic, But that's a pretty exceptional case. I remember a doctor trying to get an oxygen mask on my face when I was very young and putting up a struggle to avoid it, I also remember a very vivid nightmare I had when I was a child that had me wearing an old WWII respirator. I was struggling to remove the mask and was suffocating right up until I 'woke up'. It seemed so real . Good man James for giving it a go.. Better still for persevering and going up to the edge of space. That's a ballsy move for someone knowing the discomfort caused by being locked into one of those suits !
yeah im using half face helmet for over 4 years of motorcycle driving... and when the time i used the full face helmet for the first time.. it freaks me out too.
So it was a sort of an ejection... not from an aircraft, but the suit! Kudos to you James, it looks tight... I would have thought without any air supply it would definitely be claustrophobic.
I commend James for at least attempting it! Without training or knowing exactly what he was getting into, I think he took it very well. Also, less of a "freak out" more of a calm panic attack.
Same thing happened to me first time underwater with all the scuba gear. Apparently happens a lot getting that claustrophobic feeling. Thankfully they usually do it in a pool so you are only a few feet away from air and after the first time your usually OK...
I have one fear in the world. Claustrophobia. I love heights, started repelling down cliffs when I was 9 years old, love riding fast on motorcycles, the highest scariest rollercoasters, I want to skydive (it's on my bucket list). Love swimming (I was a lifeguard). I'm not scared of spiders, bees, any insect, any mammal either, I'm a nerd, I love bugs btw. But, been in some claustrophobic situations, and I panicked so bad, I thought I was going to die! My only fear, and I still haven't gotten over it.
I climbed inside a mock up of an X-15 cockpit at the Air Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB. I felt OK in it but I was struck by how snug it felt inside. The cockpit windows really weren't that far from my face, as I remember. I think maybe I would have been OK bolted inside a Mercury capsule eventually, but it DEFINATELY would have taken a while to acclimatize yourself to something like that. Like a ball turret in a B-17. Climb in a clothes dryer at the laundromat and close the door. OK, maybe that's too small, but that's the idea.
Any mocking from Clarkson, just remind him he threw up in an F15. What a waste of an F15 ride that was. An Apollo astronaut confessed, after his space career was over, to keeping secret his panic attacks while wearing a spacesuit. Some people even freak out inside nothing more than a motorcycle helmet. It's only natural: your instincts are detecting danger and panic is your brain telling you to run to safety.
Sad to admit I had the same feeling in VR .. sitting in the cockpit of the Mercury spacecraft (Reentry simulator on PC). The entire Mercury capsule could fit in a 6 ft x 6 ft box.
First time I wore the bomb suit in EOD school I freaked out for that exact reason. I just felt like was going to suffocate. The visor is so close to your face.
![James May Rides in a U2 Spy Plane [HQ]](/img/1.gif)
This is the calmest, most polite "freakout" I've ever seen
Well he is English
Well he is not american*
Ege Erdem well he is English
Usually means it’s a bad one, when they’re dead quiet like that. It’s just internal.
Why hasn't this been packaged as a experience for paying customers.. millions to be made ?
I mentally added Jeremy's voice mocking him to this video.
same
While hearing the laughter of Hammond.
Same here, also laughing historically with Hammond.
JAAAAMESSSS. Your head come out of your helmet! Hammond look his heads come out of his helmet.
May, you infantile pillock.......put the helmet back on!
He had an anxiety attack and still went in to the stratosphere #boss #inspiration
Family Guy that’s pretty brave tbf
#JamesMay O.G. O.B.E
James May rocks.
Proof we can all do things we just have to push ourselves.
Easy to forget how very brave those astronauts and cosmonauts were - and still are.
You two are pathetic
This is for the u2 spy plane
@@christophermcnamara5591 More or less a space suit. It's a pressurized enclosed system.
This plane in my opinion is badass. It reminds me of those Styrofoam planes you can buy and you throw it to make it glide.
@@0ddyN i guess all out satellites are up in space cause Hollywood faked them also right?
_"... it will try to extrude your head out the helmet."_
**JAMES JUST **_STARES AT THE CAMERA._*
😝😝😝😝
He handled that panic attack very well, most would of literally freaked out.
I don’t blame the man. Every air tight suit has that issue, it can really freak you out, especially when you know you can’t take it off. Good on him though. He held it together pretty well.
What I really liked about this segment is the honesty of it. I also like the realistic Anglo American interactions. Everyone is courteous and professional. That is how it should be and typically is among us adults. We are better Separate working Together than if we were still Together working to be Separate.
I've never had anything but a good interaction with a British professional in business here or there and in casual travel most of the time.
S Tho Well said. Agree completely
WTF does that mean?
Did you just drop some really casual, non-aggressive racism? I swear you just advocated for the separation of races due to the fact that we can't get along, even though some of the "Anglo Americans" in the video weren't white. I just needed to make sure since it really surprised me.
@@Profile__1 I'm pretty sure he was referring to "Anglo-Americans" culturally, not racially. I believe he meant that people from a similar Anglo culture (Americans & Brits regardless of race) work together quite well due to their history together.
@@mcmxcix9525 If that is what he was trying to say, what a very interesting means of phrasing it.
I read there was one test pilot training to fly the SR-71 who was almost qualified, but when he first put on the suit he freaked out panicking from the claustrophobia and it took several men to restrain him while they got the suit off. Needless to say he was discontinued from the SR-71 program and in the future trying on the suit was made mandatory far earlier in the process.
Stupid... they really needed to make that suit so tight?
I know he gets the Capt. Slow and other ribbing from the chaps on the show, but James is one of the most skilled and tough people on the planet. So when he's freaking out, it's a thing.
Good on ya James.
Eric Franklin Shook he's not tough lmao
@Michael G he drove it along a straight of test track, does that really take a special kind of toughness?
@@cantbants If you lose your concentration for a split second you're in the wall, test track or not. You're traveling at 111m/sek (365fps)
He's a pussy here
@@JTFROG Not really. The other fully trained fella said he was a lot worse, and even vomitted.
James wasn't that bad. Did better than the professional in this first instance.
I was feeling very claustrophobic just watching them putting that helmet on him, I know that there is no way anyone could talk me into doing that! You're a brave man James!
Proud of our Air Force! You did a great job with James May. Kudos to James for being a Gentleman.
I'd watch James wash windows
It would sure be something James could go on about for hours. 'It's very important to frequently turn the sponge for maximal effect.'
James so under rates himself. Easily one of the most engaging and entertaining people on television. His whole persona is so accessible, you just feel like you're watching somebody you know personally.
@@EltonBeatles yet after hours the dirt will still be on the window like that one time he tried to polish his vw
Thumbs up if you are listening to this in 1286 B.C. in Egypt under the rule of Ramses II
Listening?
I'm watching a series of fast moving papyrus scrolls complete with sound effects and loamy Nile mud smells.
Ramses II wasn't Pharaoh till 1279 B.C. tho.
Good point, wikipedophile.
WUZ U KANGZ N SHIEET?
Why are you still doing this 1286 B.C. shit, David? The rest of us caught the elevator into Trump Tower last week to witness the end of Civilisation from the Penthouse on the 3rd floor. Come, join us, and stop using RUclips for sending these messages. It's meant to be hush hush.
Liked for May. Sorry he had to go through that.
The people who do this for real are amazing, the self control is super human.
The pilot will see the curvature of the earth which shows one of the final frontiers. 😊
This is besides the dream of flying the reward for every second of training.
Welcome to James May ruins your childhood dreams: Astronaut edition
As someone who has worn a Level A Fully Encapsulated and Level B Hazmat suit with a SCBA I know that feeling. It happens to many people and nothing to be embarrassed about.
He's even a Gentleman about his freakouts
Well done James. I literally had a mini anxiety attack putting myself in his position
James is too good of a human being for this sinful world.
Jesus loves you
@@JordanRx8 where'd Jesus come into this?
@@CMDR_John_Crichton In every aircraft, tank and foxhole. Especially among the atheists.
James had more of a freak out when Jeremy messed with the watch on his hand and made it off sync and James left the set
Or blowing up his shed
Mango Shake Look what you’ve done to my BLOODY SHED MAAAAANNNNNN!!!!!
Which episode is it from?
@@amansingh2652 idk, the clip is in a video called "James May ocd compilation"
I MISS JAMES SO MUCH! havent seen him since the last time i watch top gear
Watch Grand Tour mate
Seemed pretty calm for someone having a panic attack.
You sad person. real panic is inside a person's mind.
He's also on Tv, freaking out probably wouldn't look the best
It's called being a professional
@@neuroplasticity i think they are saying he handled it well.
I sound exactly like that when having a panic attack. Panic attacks aren't always crying and screaming, sometimes they do manifest as that flat, emotionless sound. He was clearly very distressed, because he was on the verge of tears.
I'd probably have a panic attack in that kind of thing.
I actually think he did. He kept his cool though, which sounds ironic.
Some people would make fun of him for panicking but I don't think there's any shame in it when it comes to the reality he's facing.
Exactly, some of the people in the comments have too much faith in themselves that they'd do any better
Good job keeping calm james, panic attacks can be scary by themselves. i couldnt imagine being locked up in an airtight suit while having one.
Don't feel ashamed James, takes guts to face your fears and still be able to comment about it to the world.
I remember the same sensation while trying out an oxygen tank as a firefighter trainee 😂 its pretty freaky at first
Clearly he had a flashback to his first time coming through space... to get to earth....
MAAAY... even though, it's still February....
A bit ironic that I decided to start watching top gear and James may programs to help me forget my current panic attacks.......Thanks a lot James!......but all respect to you for completing the filming.
You sometimes get the same reaction 1st time scuba diving as you sink beneath the water...
I'm an open water diver, very relaxed underwater. Just don't put me in an elevator.
He looked like he was about to cry when he asked them not to film :(
I was a commercial diver, wearing a close fitting helmet takes a bit of getting used to. So hats off to him for getting it together and making that flight. PS: I used to wear a do rag or watch cap and tuck my hair up so it did not get caught in the helmet seal with the neck dam.
I started freaking out just wearing a full face motorcycle helmet one time. I loved riding motorcycles, and wearing a helmet went along with the whole package. I think the problem was the ambient air temp was so warm, I couldn't feel cool air going through my airway, so I felt like I couldn't breathe. I was almost yelling as a tore my helmet off.
Good job being very honest about that claustrophobic experience. I always wondered how people can stand that for an extended period of time. You can not run your face etc and has all the material tightly around your head. And now imaging water and oil gets into your eyes and you cannot do anything. Tough job.
Andreas Köhler Or you Get an itchy nose.😅
They're made of different stuff.
Being extremely claustrophobic, this made my skin crawl! Good job, James, I would have been yelling in a shrill voice "get it off me, get it off me!"
Yeah, space suits are a rather extreme experience... definitely not for everyone. Great job for giving it a go.
The entire documentary is actually quite good
How do i see the full documentary ? Where can i find it
I had a similar experience when training scuba diving, whenever I had to take off my goggles while down under I would lose control of my breathing and start freaking out. I think it has something to do with the loss of the seal on your nose and the fact that it's much harder to see.
It's a common reaction. The guy from Austria who did the parachute jump, nearly couldn't do it for the same reasons. He worked hard at overcoming the anxiety of it. Not sure how I would do either. The worst part is sitting there for about 4 hours I think? You have to purge all the nitrogen out of your body before you hit altitude in case there is a cabin depressurization, otherwise you'd get a serious case of the bends, possibly even die.
The calmest freak out
Remember feeling real uneasy when doing industrial confined space training. Was done using Fire Brigade BA. Went through how to put in on, adjust and tighten the straps, open the air supply tank etc. Was then put into the test situation, which was to go into a simulation fuel storage tank, which was then filled with smoke. At which point we had to put the BA on, seal it up, and then find and crawl through a pitch black tunnel (couldnt even see hand right in front of you) to simulate pipework of 30" daimeter.
Knowing you cant take it off sure made you get your arse in gear and get out quick lol.
Also another time when working in the alkylation cracking plant in an oil refinery. Due to HF acid vapours in the air, a full rubber chemical suit and BA had to be worn, that was real unsettling onowing that if it even so much as leaked and the vapour got in, theyd pretty much burn your lungs right out of your chest, or if the acid itself came into contact with yoir skin of an area of 5-6 sqr inches, the effect can be fatal if not dealt with VERY quickly ie within seconds.
I'm not an astronaut but I use to work for a catalyst company and we had to do this kind of training and it is kind of scary when your oxygen is no more available
freaking out is like anxiety, its almost apart of it, so i totally understand how he felt, good job for keeping cool though, good man :)
I kinda know how he feels. Took a fire training class and we had to go in full gear. Respirator and facemask. Freakiest and mental thing to go through
Im one of those weirdos who had no issue with SCBA, even the confidence course was fun, just a dark jungle gym basically. The thing that got me initially was the rappelling, being 7 stories up and leaning over the edge to me was worse.
When I became a firefighter, I had to take my respirator mask (no tank) home with me and wear it around the house in order to get used to breathing differently. You usually can’t see what you’re doing in a place that’s on fire; there’s no electricity and the smoke is dense. So, not feeling like to can breathe as deeply and as often as you’d like and not knowing what’s around you really increases the claustrophobic feeling.
poor James. I was like "nooo don't panic!!"
respect May for being brave to do this.
I would not be able to do that.... I would have gotten claustrophobia attack right away. Good job May!
still kind of crazy to me how our space tech seems so archaic compared to the rest of modern technology, I know it is a lot to do with safety measures and functional adaptability to existing technology (which has been around since the 60s) but aesthetically it all looks more steam age than space age.
I am sure the tech inside the suit is second to none, but it has the appearance of something so far out of date that it is hard to believe.
new challenge: develop a space suit that is both functional and modern in appearance and secure funding from the generation of useful idiots that like expensive fancy looking stuff (IE the iPhone crowd)
NASA's designs are from the nuclear age, which technically was part of the steam age - nuclear engines are a type of steam engine, after all.
In matters of space flight, safety is first. You would use an old and reliable design that has stood the test of time rather than invest in something new and fancy, not matter how promising, without a pressing need.
The challenge of devising more aesthetic space suits has been accepted by Elon Musk and SpaceX years ago. The goal seems to be to develop something like the space suits from Rocket Girls, but they are still in development.
absolutely, id rather be perfectly safe with reliable tech and look like a fool, than look really cool....and die.
There are functional reasons to improve on these designs though.
The space suits used for space walks are quite cumbersome, because they are basically an inflated bag full of air.
This makes the suit stiff and unwieldy due to air pressure alone, plus you then need a lot of protection, because a suit puncture is very bad, due to loss of both oxygen and pressure, and a leak anywhere in the suit can cause both those problems.
One of the things I've seen that are under development would seem to be more like a rubber or elastic suit.
Rather than pressurising the body with air, the fabric itself applies the pressure through elastic force and the like.
Obviously development of radical new concepts take a long time in something so safety critical, but the advantages are numerous.
Since it means only the helmet still has pressurised air in it, you can't get air leaks due to punctures except near the head.
A puncture or tear in the suit would be bad for the skin in the immediate region around the tear, but would have little effect on the pressure of the suit (since that's provided directly, and not via air pressure), or the oxygen levels since there is no oxygen in the bulk of the suit anyway.
Not having oxygen in the suit also means the suit doesn't need to form such a strong pressure seal, and can be made with thinner, more flexible layers, plus the lack of air makes the whole thing more flexible in and of itself.
The end result is a suit that is lighter, more flexible, easier to work in, and less vulnerable to catastrophic damage.
The problem with it is that it's a serious technical challenge developing a suit layer that provides an appropriate degree of pressure to all the parts in the human body suitable to keeping you in one piece if you are exposed to a vacuum.
After all, it's the elasticity and design of the suit in this case that would have to provide all the pressure, rather than using air to provide pressure, and the suit being designed to keep the air inside of it.
If and when such suits go into use, you'll probably end up seeing much thinner, less bulky and more sleek/sci-fi kind of suit designs, but for now it's best to stick with what works reliably, because there's no point in radical redesigns unless they have massive practical benefits.
With an elastic-type suit, wouldn't the wearer be subjected to twice the pressure of earth's atmosphere when first suiting up before they enter the vacuum of space?
Pominator Even with our modern technology, the place that has really allude man has been the deep sea. Which makes the way we do deep sea exploration, even more archaic...
James May is quite honestly my spirit animal, like I mean I'm not claustrophobic but if I was literally dying on air I'd probably act just as polite and thoughtfully spoken as he did
MAY the force be with you
Walks in and stares at chair.
"Right, what do I do?"
James is so calm and nice.
I had training in HAZMAT with SCBA. Something about the first time you have your face totally enclosed and hearing every breath you take makes it super easy to start unconsciously hyperventilating. I remember getting dizzy and nauseous the first time I was totally geared up.
This video needs Richard and Jeremy, laughing at James!
First time snorkeling does the same to people.
orange42 how so? Do you mean like it feels harder to breathe?
+orange42 that and the restricted head movement. depending on the type snorkel if you move your head wrong you can get a mouth full of water or suddenly you snorkel closes most people do get used to it though.
Rubbish, not anywhere close. Perhaps first descent with mask for scuba...
Yes it's a similar problem. (Although snorkeling is probably the easiest of all). Having your head or face covered in a mask, and your airways restricted by a breathing apparatus is a nightmare for some people.
Source: Been doing both scuba and commercial diving, with various masks and helmets.
Seen beginners who totally freaked out and had to be rescued.
orange42 I'll never forget the first time i was snorkeling... :-)
I was going to say, how could you not have a massive panic attack being entombed in all that gear. I was starting to freak out just watching him go through it. Sad they can't come up with a less claustrophobic get up. Yikes! 🙀😰😭
Nexus2Eden it was just first time panic, you'll get used to it.
Nexus2Eden it's common to have that reaction when it's your first time.
No doubt - you'd think by now we'd have a much less claustrophobic design wouldn't you.
After going caving and squeezing through 30 cm high spaces this doesn't seem too bad
I love James. There’s no shame. Does his best and that’s it
And pilots have to wear this thing in a cramped 1-meter by-70 cm-wide cockpit at 80,000 feet over hostile territory, where they risk getting busted and shot down at any time. And if that's not hard enough, they then somehow, through unexplainable miracles of modern science and technology, calculate their way back to a 2 km long 10-meter wide strip of tarmac to land on.
Bugger me. That takes the right stuff.
Yeah, you're probably correct this million dollars space suit was really just a flight jacket, but he's watched too many episodes of ancient aliens, opps.............NASA failed again
@@europeanbourgeois8223 stfu
@@europeanbourgeois8223 Racism epitomized, this should be on Oxford dictionary as definition. Strongly disagree though
+Adrien Rassat
To pilots its just part of the job, its like soldiers to them its just part of the job, that is how they survive mentally.
Why dont they just use satellites...
A dry suit gives you a similar feeling. Pulling those seals around your wrists and neck (especially around your neck) makes me cringe every time.
A really tight 7mm semi dry suit is the same, only really body hugging too. Especially if you, like me, use a two piece suit with long johns.
This video is best served at youtube's double speed setting and muted while in another tab you play Could This Be by Noisia. Start the Noisia track and hit play on this video when the Noisia track is 10 seconds in.
Good on ya for giving it a go.
I once had an anxiety and panic attack due to (just) a visual stimulus. I have extreme claustrophobia. If i even think about getting stuck in small spaces, i start to get anxious.
The seating position in the jet would mess with me too. imagine being strapped in for a 18 hr flight.
i enjoy that show,,hope he does it agian
I remember once riding on a motorway on my motorbike and having a similar experience - it's not pleasant, you have to basically move you attention away from your experience to distract yourself from the mini-freakout/panic attack going on in your mind because the more you notice it the more you freak out.
Well done James, you did well !
I feel like I can subconsciously hear Clarkson giving him a bunch of shit
Totally get that. First time I drove a race car, I got my helmet on, did up the chin strap, got belted in super tight, and then the guys belting me in all stepped away. What got me was the limited peripheral vision and the rather limited range of motion that my arms had due to the seatbelts being done up so tightly and my shoulders being jammed up against the cockpit surround. Definitely a moment of claustrophobia!
Don't feel bad May, my nose started itching just watching the visor go down, I couldn't do it either. LOL
I wouldn't like it very much, either !! I'm not particularly claustrophobic, But that's a pretty exceptional case.
I remember a doctor trying to get an oxygen mask on my face when I was very young and putting up a struggle to avoid it, I also remember a very vivid nightmare I had when I was a child that had me wearing an old WWII respirator. I was struggling to remove the mask and was suffocating right up until I 'woke up'. It seemed so real .
Good man James for giving it a go.. Better still for persevering and going up to the edge of space. That's a ballsy move for someone knowing the discomfort caused by being locked into one of those suits !
I honestly never thought of the claustrophobic situation in a spacesuit before
yeah im using half face helmet for over 4 years of motorcycle driving... and when the time i used the full face helmet for the first time.. it freaks me out too.
So it was a sort of an ejection... not from an aircraft, but the suit! Kudos to you James, it looks tight... I would have thought without any air supply it would definitely be claustrophobic.
Its so weird seeing James on any other show besides Top Gear.
I got anxiety just watching him do that
I commend James for at least attempting it! Without training or knowing exactly what he was getting into, I think he took it very well. Also, less of a "freak out" more of a calm panic attack.
Same thing happened to me first time underwater with all the scuba gear. Apparently happens a lot getting that claustrophobic feeling. Thankfully they usually do it in a pool so you are only a few feet away from air and after the first time your usually OK...
I have one fear in the world. Claustrophobia. I love heights, started repelling down cliffs when I was 9 years old, love riding fast on motorcycles, the highest scariest rollercoasters, I want to skydive (it's on my bucket list). Love swimming (I was a lifeguard). I'm not scared of spiders, bees, any insect, any mammal either, I'm a nerd, I love bugs btw. But, been in some claustrophobic situations, and I panicked so bad, I thought I was going to die! My only fear, and I still haven't gotten over it.
I climbed inside a mock up of an X-15 cockpit at the Air Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB. I felt OK in it but I was struck by how snug it felt inside. The cockpit windows really weren't that far from my face, as I remember. I think maybe I would have been OK bolted inside a Mercury capsule eventually, but it DEFINATELY would have taken a while to acclimatize yourself to something like that. Like a ball turret in a B-17. Climb in a clothes dryer at the laundromat and close the door. OK, maybe that's too small, but that's the idea.
I think that would freak anyone out the first time or 2. You did way better than I could have and I race motorcycles.
What if you fart?
You gotta breathe it away…
That takes skill...
Which usually smells good since it's your fart...
We call that a free meal in the space program.
Muhamad Taufiq no
He did very well to not freak out , fair play to him for having a go .
He looks so adorable in that space suit like a lil baby hahaha
Claustrophobia. Sits in cars all day xD
Any mocking from Clarkson, just remind him he threw up in an F15. What a waste of an F15 ride that was.
An Apollo astronaut confessed, after his space career was over, to keeping secret his panic attacks while wearing a spacesuit. Some people even freak out inside nothing more than a motorcycle helmet.
It's only natural: your instincts are detecting danger and panic is your brain telling you to run to safety.
Reminds me of a MR scan in one of the very tight chambers.
Sad to admit I had the same feeling in VR .. sitting in the cockpit of the Mercury spacecraft (Reentry simulator on PC). The entire Mercury capsule could fit in a 6 ft x 6 ft box.
Well done James that would freak me out so much
My palms are sweating just watching this
same here james in order for me to complete my stcw for fire fighting i had to wear the BA set with the suit and mask
He didn't freak out. He just got a bit of "the vapors" and my grandma used to say : D
He's done alot better than I would.
I just freaked out watching this.
Dude never wore a motorcycle helmet huh. Claustrophobic feel goes away
Love James May. One of the more honest humans left on this planet
First time I wore the bomb suit in EOD school I freaked out for that exact reason. I just felt like was going to suffocate. The visor is so close to your face.