Working on the Moon
Gloves and Boots
Once on the lunar surface, the Apollo 11 astronauts set about collecting rock
samples for scientific study. This required spacesuits, gloves, and boots that
allowed astronauts to work with their hands and traverse the lunar surface.
These Apollo A7L Extravehicular Activity (EVA) spacesuit gloves were used in
training for the lunar missions. They had the same protections against
temperature and radiation from earlier spacesuits and added silicone-rubber
fingertips and an outer layer of Chromel-R, stainless steel fabric, to protect
against sharp rocks on the lunar surface.
These Lunar Overshoes were early prototypes of boots for the Apollo lunar
missions. The Lunar Overshoes needed to be abrasion and puncture resistant and
provide traction while walking in the loose lunar dust. The silicone-rubber
sole, the same as the glove fingertips, protected from punctures, and the wide
bar tread on the sole provided traction in the loose lunar dust. Like
the A7L EVA gloves, astronauts wore the boots only for trips out to the lunar
surface. The final design of the boots incorporated easier-to-handle
straps and a layer
of Chromel-R.