SPACESUIT 1
I have always wanted a spacesuit costume, and in 2018 I decided to build my own. My design is inspired by science fiction spacesuits from films like Alien and 2001: A Space Odyssey. My helmet contains internal lighting, voice-reactive external lights, and my suit incorporates a cooling fan system that cycles cool air through my helmet. The suit is made primarily of acrylic satin and lasercut EVA foam.
THE DESIGN
I began this project with a single desire: to have a badass space helmet with lights inside it. I decided to build the helmet first, and then expand on the initial design to create the rest of the costume. I created a visual design language for the project combining inspiration from my favorite sci-fi space stories with research on early nautical explorers. Pleating on the bodysuit references the pleating used on the joints of NASA’s pressurized suits, while colors and textures reference ancient metals like bronze and gold. My goal was to create a costume as complex and fleshed-out as the fantasy spacesuits in my favorite sci-fi films, and my main strategy to achieve this was rich texture. I used several repeated textures to create the illusion of multiple, functional materials, although the entire ensemble is made of mainly 2 materials: foam and fabric.
THE BUILD
Using Adobe Illustrator, I designed each piece of the helmet and spacesuit to be laser cut out of EVA foam. After cutting and assembly, I painted the helmet and spacesuit using spray paint and hand weathering with acrylics.
THE ELECTRONICS
I added NeoPixel LED strips to the inside of the helmet for face lighting, and two audio reactive lights triggered by a microphone located inside of the helmet.
THE base layer
I designed the base layer of the spacesuit as a practical jumpsuit, for maximum movement and comfort. Extending the color palette from the helmet and chest piece, the jumpsuit is two-toned: shimmery blue and warm silver. Pleating at the joints is a nod to the real life spacesuits of NASA, and waist strapping inspired by climbing harnesses serves as a mounting point for the cooling system and battery packs.
I’ve written two tutorials based on this project: Add Lights to a Cosplay Helmet (published in HackSpace issue 16) and Cosmic Cosplay (published in Make: Magazine volume 69).