Pressure Suit, A7-L, Apollo 11, Collins, Back-up

This spacesuit was made for astronaut Michael Collins and designated as a back-up for the Apollo 11 mission in July, 1969 in the event of failure of or damage to his mission suit.

Back-up suits were identical to those used during missions. Mission and back-up suits were designed to provide a life sustaining environment for the astronaut during periods of extra vehicular activity or during unpressurized spacecraft operation. They permitted maximum mobility and could be worn with relative comfort for up to 115 hours in conjunction with the liquid cooling garment. If necessary, they were also capable of being worn for 14 days in an unpressurized mode.

This spacesuit was made by the International Latex Corporation with the designation A7-L and was constructed in the Extra-vehicular or EV configuration. It was transferred to the National Air and Space Museum from NASA in 1971.