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Advanced Crew Escape Suit
Designation: ACES
The orange 'pumpkin suit' worn on every Shuttle flight from 1994–2011 — the suit Columbia's crew wore when the orbiter broke apart.
About This Suit
The Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES) replaced the partial-pressure Launch Entry Suit (LES) after the Challenger disaster highlighted the need for full-pressure protection during ascent and reentry. Built by David Clark Company from a lineage descending from U-2 and SR-71 high-altitude pilot suits, it provided complete pressure protection to 100,000 ft (30 km). The distinctive orange color was chosen for maximum search-and-rescue visibility. ACES was worn by every Shuttle crew from STS-64 (1994) through STS-135 (2011, the final Shuttle flight). Tragically, the Columbia crew was wearing ACES suits when the orbiter broke apart on February 1, 2003; the Columbia Accident Investigation Board found the suits could not have saved the crew given the catastrophic depressurization rate, but the suits did provide some protection in the initial breakup sequence.
Key Features
- 1Full-pressure suit — overcame the Challenger-era LES limitation of partial-pressure only
- 2Derived from U-2 and SR-71 high-altitude pilot suit heritage at David Clark Company
- 3Bright orange for maximum search-and-rescue visibility in ocean or terrain
- 4Self-donning design: crew could suit up without ground assistance
- 5Anti-g bladders in trouser legs preventing G-LOC during high-g reentry
- 6Integrated parachute harness, flotation collar, and survival kit
Historic Missions
1994
STS-64
First operational ACES flight — Mark Lee, Jerry Linenger and crew
2003
STS-107 (Columbia)
Crew wore ACES during orbiter breakup on Feb 1, 2003; CAIB investigation studied suit protection
👨🚀 Husband, McCool, Anderson, Chawla, Brown, Clark, Ramon
2011
STS-135
Final Space Shuttle flight — last operational use of ACES
👨🚀 Ferguson, Hurley, Magnus, Walheim
Engineering & Research Highlights
- ◆First full-pressure U.S. IVA suit since Apollo — closed the safety gap exposed by Challenger
- ◆ACES design philosophy (pressure + visibility + survival integration) directly influenced Orion OCSS design