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Launch Entry Suit
Designation: LES
The bright orange suit rushed into service after the Challenger disaster — a partial-pressure emergency suit that gave shuttle crews their first real pressure protection since Apollo.
About This Suit
The Launch Entry Suit (LES) was introduced for STS-26 (September 29, 1988) — the return-to-flight mission after the Challenger disaster — and remained in service through STS-63 (1995) before being superseded by the full-pressure ACES. The Challenger investigation found that crew survival was possible had the orbiter maintained pressurization and the crew been wearing pressure suits. NASA responded by mandating LES for all shuttle ascent and reentry phases. The LES was a partial-pressure suit: it inflated a helmet-mounted bladder to maintain pressure around the head and neck in a depressurization, rather than pressurizing the entire torso. This offered some protection below 30,000 ft (9 km) but was not a full escape system. Like its predecessor (ACES would be full pressure), it incorporated an integrated parachute harness and survival kit. The distinctive bright orange was chosen to continue NASA's visibility tradition for sea rescue.
Key Features
- 1Introduced post-Challenger for STS-26 — first shuttle crew pressure protection since early Shuttle era
- 2Partial-pressure design: inflates bladder around head in depressurization (vs. full-body pressure of ACES)
- 3Integrated parachute harness and survival equipment
- 4Connects to shuttle life support via crew umbilical
- 5Bright orange for sea rescue visibility
- 6Superseded by full-pressure ACES starting with STS-64 (1994)
Historic Missions
1988
STS-26 (Return to Flight)
First shuttle mission after Challenger — Frederick Hauck, Richard Covey, and crew wore LES suits on the first post-Challenger ascent and reentry
👨🚀 Frederick Hauck, Richard Covey, David Hilmers, George Nelson, Mike Lounge
1995
STS-63
Last LES mission before ACES replaced it; near-Mir rendezvous
Engineering & Research Highlights
- ◆Post-Challenger investigation established that pressure suit protection during ascent and reentry was non-negotiable — LES was the immediate response
- ◆Partial-pressure design exposed its limitations compared to fighter-pilot full-pressure suits — directly motivating the ACES full-pressure replacement