Space History Photo: Robert Springer Dons EMU for Training

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Astronaut Robert C. Springer prepares in February of 1990 for STS-38 by training underwater for EVAs. (Image credit: NASA.)

In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, STS-38 Mission Specialist Robert C. Springer dons extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) upper torso with technicians' assistance in JSC's Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29.

Springer is preparing for an underwater extravehicular activity (EVA) simulation in the neutral buoyancy tank. Springer and his fellow astronauts would launch aboard Atlantis on November 15, 1990.

This photo demonstrates the two-part suit consisting of an upper and lower half that is worn during shuttle EVAs. The entire suit, including parts not pictured here, weighs 275 pounds, so it is necessary to have help while putting it on in Earth's gravity.

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