Why are space suits from NASA white?

Here is a transcript of the video.

Narrator: What does Neil Armstrong, Ed White and the ISS astronauts have in common? They all wore a white space suit. And they are not alone. Beyond NASA, space programs in countries like Russia and China also use white suits. Not the colors of the Russian flag or the emblematic yellow and red of China, just white. Plain old white. This basic color has saved countless lives of astronauts. NASA has not always had a white diving suit. Their first ever manned spaceflight, Project Mercury, featured silver combinations, but none of these astronauts actually explored the space void. And that's the key because there, the spacesuits have to be very reflective. And the best color for that is not money, it is white.

Cathleen Lewis: White is the color that reflects radiation most effectively in space.

Narrator: Here on Earth, our atmosphere protects us from 77% of solar radiation. But astronauts in space do not have this natural shield, which makes them vulnerable to extreme temperatures, severe sunburns and even cancer cell damage. So, to combat this, they wear white suits that reflect the sun's harmful rays. It's a bit like if painting a white wall keeps the room fresher than a dark color, as a lighter paint absorbs 35% less heat.

Cathleen Lewis: This is the ideal color for ensuring the safety of astronauts. If you are thinking of going out into space, this reflexive nature is an absolute.

Narrator: But these white EVA suits are not the only clothes in the closet of an astronaut. When they go into space or go home, NASA astronauts wear a bright orange suit that is similar in color to the air force pilots' safety vests. similar reasons, because this bright orange stands out in the blue sky and ocean and attracts perfectly attention Therefore, if there is a malfunction during landing and that astronauts have to abandon the ship they must be easy to spot for rescue teams. That is why orange was the color of choice for missions like the Russian Vostok program as well as for the current ISS launch and reentry combinations.

That being said, times change. Nowadays, we have more sophisticated means to locate astronauts in need of help, such as GPS trackers and transponders, so that space agencies are now free to be creative in choosing their colors. NASA and other programs are already starting to use other colors such as deep blue and mustard yellow. And in the future, they could be very different because NASA is heading for Mars. This will be the longest crewed space mission to date, taking up to three years from start to finish. Meanwhile, astronauts may be suffering from boredom or depression. It is there that colorful combinations could be useful.

Cathleen Lewis: You may want to have a color variation or even interchangeable cover layers for the costumes just to avoid the monotony trials. This is a very deep concern. People who exercise a very stressful job, in a very small confined space, and this is a very monotonous space.

Narrator: Imagine a rainbow space suit for a new era of exploration.