Shirt-sleeve environment
Encyclopedia
Shirt-sleeve environment is a term used in aircraft
design to describe the interior of an aircraft
in which no special clothing need be worn. Early aircraft had no internal pressurization
, so the crews of those that reached the stratosphere
had to be garb
ed to withstand the low temperature and pressure of the air outside. Respirator masks needed to cover the mouth and nose. Silk socks were worn to keep in the heat. Sometimes leather clothing
, such as boots, were electrically heated. When jet fighter aircraft reached still higher altitudes, something similar to a space suit
had to be worn, and pilots of the highest reconnaissance aircraft
wore real space suits.
Commercial jet airliner
s fly in the stratosphere, but because they are pressurized, they could be said to have a shirt-sleeve environment. Crews of the US Apollo spacecraft
always began the flight phases of launch
, docking
, and re-entry
in space suits, although they could remove them for many hours. The Soviets tried to perfect this to save weight. This worked well, until an accidental depressurization on entry resulted in the deaths of an entire Soyuz crew. Protocols were changed shortly thereafter to require at least partial spacesuits
. Early Soyuz spacecraft
had no provision for space suits in the re-entry module
, although the orbital module
was intended for use as an airlock
. Thus these operated in a shirt-sleeve environment except for spacewalks.
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
design to describe the interior of an aircraft
Aircraft cabin
An aircraft cabin is the section of an aircraft in which passengers travel. At cruising altitudes of modern commercial aircraft the surrounding atmosphere is too thin to breathe without an oxygen mask, so cabins are pressurized at a higher pressure than ambient pressure at altitude.In commercial...
in which no special clothing need be worn. Early aircraft had no internal pressurization
Cabin pressurization
Cabin pressurization is the pumping of compressed air into an aircraft cabin to maintain a safe and comfortable environment for crew and passengers when flying at altitude.-Need for cabin pressurization:...
, so the crews of those that reached the stratosphere
Stratosphere
The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. It is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down. This is in contrast to the troposphere near the Earth's surface, which is cooler...
had to be garb
Pressure suit
A pressure suit is a protective suit worn by high-altitude pilots who may fly at altitudes where the air pressure is too low for an unprotected person to survive, even breathing pure oxygen at positive pressure. Such suits may be either full-pressure or partial-pressure...
ed to withstand the low temperature and pressure of the air outside. Respirator masks needed to cover the mouth and nose. Silk socks were worn to keep in the heat. Sometimes leather clothing
Flight suit
A flight suit is a full body garment, worn while flying aircraft such as military airplanes, gliders and helicopters. These suits are generally made to keep the wearer warm, as well as being practical , and durable . Its appearance is usually similar to a jumpsuit. A military flight suit may also...
, such as boots, were electrically heated. When jet fighter aircraft reached still higher altitudes, something similar to a space suit
Space suit
A space suit is a garment worn to keep an astronaut alive in the harsh environment of outer space. Space suits are often worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure, and are necessary for extra-vehicular activity , work done outside spacecraft...
had to be worn, and pilots of the highest reconnaissance aircraft
Reconnaissance aircraft
A reconnaissance aircraft is a manned military aircraft designed, or adapted, to carry out aerial reconnaissance.-History:The majority of World War I aircraft were reconnaissance designs...
wore real space suits.
Commercial jet airliner
Jet airliner
A jet airliner is an airliner that is powered by jet engines. This term is sometimes contracted to jetliner or jet.In contrast to today's relatively fuel-efficient, turbofan-powered air travel, first generation jet airliner travel was noisy and fuel inefficient...
s fly in the stratosphere, but because they are pressurized, they could be said to have a shirt-sleeve environment. Crews of the US Apollo spacecraft
Apollo spacecraft
The Apollo spacecraft was composed of five combined parts designed to accomplish the American Apollo program's goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by the end of the 1960s and returning them safely to Earth...
always began the flight phases of launch
Rocket launch
A rocket launch is the takeoff phase of the flight of a rocket. Launches for orbital spaceflights, or launches into interplanetary space, are usually from a fixed location on the ground, but may also be from a floating platform such as the San Marco platform, or the Sea Launch launch...
, docking
Space rendezvous
A space rendezvous is an orbital maneuver during which two spacecraft, one of which is often a space station, arrive at the same orbit and approach to a very close distance . Rendezvous requires a precise match of the orbital velocities of the two spacecraft, allowing them to remain at a constant...
, and re-entry
Re-Entry
"Re-Entry" was the second album released by UK R&B / Hip Hop collective Big Brovaz. After the album was delayed in May 2006, the band finally release the follow-up to "Nu Flow" on 9 April 2007...
in space suits, although they could remove them for many hours. The Soviets tried to perfect this to save weight. This worked well, until an accidental depressurization on entry resulted in the deaths of an entire Soyuz crew. Protocols were changed shortly thereafter to require at least partial spacesuits
Sokol space suit
The Sokol space suit is a type of Russian space suit, worn by all who fly on the Soyuz spacecraft. It was introduced in 1973 and is still used . The Sokol is described by its makers as a rescue suit, and it is not capable of being used outside the spacecraft in a spacewalk or extra-vehicular...
. Early Soyuz spacecraft
Soyuz spacecraft
Soyuz , Union) is a series of spacecraft initially designed for the Soviet space programme by the Korolyov Design Bureau in the 1960s, and still in service today...
had no provision for space suits in the re-entry module
Reentry capsule
A reentry capsule is the portion of a spacecraft which returns to Earth following a space flight. The shape is determined partly by aerodynamics; a capsule is aerodynamically stable falling blunt end first, which allows only the blunt end to require a heat shield for atmospheric reentry. Its shape...
, although the orbital module
Orbital module
The orbital module is a portion of spacecraft used only in orbit. These have developed from the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.-Soyuz orbit module:The orbit module is a spherical part of Soviet-Russian Soyuz space ship series...
was intended for use as an airlock
Airlock
An airlock is a device which permits the passage of people and objects between a pressure vessel and its surroundings while minimizing the change of pressure in the vessel and loss of air from it...
. Thus these operated in a shirt-sleeve environment except for spacewalks.