David Saint-Jacques, a Canadian astronaut, is wearing the first-ever “smart” astroskin jersey on the International Space Station (ISS).
Saint-Jacques made his way to the ISS this past December as part of the Expedition 58 crew and will wear the new space fashion for the length of his six-month mission.
The Astroskin Bio-Monitor System was created by Quebec’s Carré Technologies, also known as Hexoskin, and developed the tech under a $1.79 million USD contract with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Five wireless sensors will monitor the astronaut’s blood pressure, skin temperature, blood oxygen levels, and breathing rate all in real time. The jersey is powered by two AA batteries which have to be replaced every 48 hours, Space.com reports.
Wearing the astroskin both while awake and asleep, researchers will receive the data almost instantly, helping to better understand the unique stressed being in space could put on the human body.
However, space isn’t the only place the jersey could be found useful. “It can also be worn by workers in dangerous environments such as mines, industrial sites or factories,” the officials noted.
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
