Adam Savage Meets Alan Shepard's Mercury Suit!

While filming in the National Air and Space Museum's Restoration Hanger, the Tested crew came across a familiar sight that we knew Adam would geek out over. Boy, were we right! Smithsonian's Lisa Young and Maggie Bearden walk a very surprised and delighted Adam through their process of preparing Alan Shepard's Mercury spacesuit for display.
Shot and edited by Joey Fameli
Produced by Kristen Lomasney
Watch more Smithsonian videos here: • Adam Savage Explores S...
NOTE: Masks were required for everyone at Smithsonian at the time of filming.
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Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman
Thanks for watching!
#AdamSavage #MercurySpaceSuit #Smithsonian

[@tested]

Watch more Smithsonian videos here: kzbin.info/aero/PLJtitKU0CAeiJ7tjkIqcrRPfIYZHPW643

[@zombielight2456]

you gotta make this suit

[@oldowl4290]

I'd gotten my 9-year old son to do a school report on Shepard a few months ago so I just surprised him with this video and he was really excited. Shepard also hit the famous moonshot golf ball on the day I was born :)

[@NotRealSomethingName]

The fact he recognized the weathering made me smile.

[@rocketg4360]

You know it's a gem of knowledge when even Adam Savage doesn't know what that thing on the spacesuit does.

[@digitaIgorilla]

I was part of this kickstarter. There was no hesitation, so important to conserve these suits.

[@DawkinsPlays]

What Kickstarter?

[@tested]

That's so awesome!

[@Gort58]

Indeed. 'Reboot the Suit' in 2015. They had excess donations towards the restoration of Armstrong's suit, and applied it to Shepard's. I was more than happy to contribute (still have the commemorative patch).

[@johnboze]

Thank you for that. Both Alan Shepard and my Father can be seen in the famous B&W photo taken in Firing Room 1 just after the launch of Apollo 11. Dad even got Alan's signature on his Launch Operations Manual along with Deke Slayton and Wernher von Braun. Dad sat in the back stacks as he was the IBM DDAS Telemetry Network Controller. Currently trying to get some Dad's Kodak Slides from Saturn V rollouts and 8mm film of the launch of Apollo 17, and Skylab, and others restored. More on Dad at #ProjectApolloFilm.

[@Kais.]

Imagine needing a kickstarter to restore such priceless pieces of history. But hey, at least it's being done.

[@shaggycan]

That is an incredible piece. Definitely needs to be preserved and treasured. 2000 years from now It will be like having Caesar's boots when he jumped off the boat onto British soil.

[@rorschacht8478]

Then they need to vaccuum seal it in purified glycerin or something, otherwise it'll be like the other guy said; dust.

[@Merennulli]

@@andybaldman With modern preservation, yep, absolutely. Without modern preservation, it would be unrecognizable in even 20 years. But plenty of artifacts last a lot longer than they naturally would because someone in the past did what they knew to preserve it and that kept it around long enough for modern preservation methods. The Dead Sea Scrolls are a famous example, being preserved in sealed jars in an arid environment, and now the pieces that survived are preserved by modern means. On the other hand, though, a lot of old preservation attempts also destroyed things. I remember going through the state archives tour where they were explaining how they selected what historic documents would be kept on microfiche and one of their examples was someone "laminating" a historic document with tape that used acid-based glue. There was no way of getting it out and the acid in the glue was already degrading the paper, so they microfiched it and then just kept it as an example of what not to do.

[@jasonbirch1182]

@@andybaldman id be shocked if there are humans alive on this planet in 200 years,let alone ANYTHING preserved from history.

[@dylanmccallister1888]

@@Merennulli in 20? Its 3.5 times that already I think if they left it alone the aluminum coating will fare about as well as a pop can. It will take longer than 20 years. I find pulltab beer cans in the woods that are older than me

[@Merennulli]

@@dylanmccallister1888 It's been preserved for all this time to varying degrees and it's still significantly degraded. Remember, it's an aluminum coating on cloth, it's not made of aluminum like a soda can or steel like the older pulltab beer cans. Underneath that coating is fabric and a mix of chemicals that you can see have corrosively leeched through in some places (as they mentioned in the video). That leeching is the main reason I said it would be unrecognizable in 20 years without preservation efforts. Also, if you listen carefully early in the video they are talking about how to support its weight. Because of the mix of materials involved, while it was ductile early in its life, it doesn't stay that way. Particularly the areas where cloth meets rigid metal. A lot of older cloth fails due to its own weight over time as the fibers degrade, and that degradation is accelerated by acids such as those in the adhesive that is leeching through.

[@Minemac2]

Love how Adam had to keep his hands in his pockets or behind his back to keep from touching it. I would have to do the same thing

[@MrThatnativeguy]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed, did you also see him wiggling his fingers , I’m sure he very badly wanted to touch the material.

[@vtbmwbiker]

Good eye! I do the same when checking equipment with a lot of moving parts. Keeps my fingers from becoming detached.

[@Whitpusmc]

My grandfather taught me to keep my hands in my pocket in situations like this.

[@tarstakars]

I remember my grandmother keeping me home from school just to watch Shepherd lift off for his flight. She said "I want you to remember this for the rest of your life". I would be in awe just standing next to that suit...

[@leemarsh3569]

I like Adam immediately starts taking detail photos! Great way to increase his archive 😊

[@spamseptictank]

My father was part of the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) crew that retrieved Commander Shepard in 1961. I have some of the Polaroid photos that he shot.

[@tested]

Very cool!

[@Neilistic1001]

What I like most about this clip is the way the two "professional" curators recognize, and treat, Adam like another professional in the field -- which, of course, he is. (And they probably watched "Mythbusters," too.)

[@BoulianneMartin]

you can hear the emotion and awe in adams voice!!

[@Psychonaut_]

after they filmed this, I bet he stayed with the conservators for hours taking pictures and notes on every detail. His passion is infectious.

[@MrThatnativeguy]

Adam, I genuinely loved your reaction to this piece.

[@tested]

We were excited to surprise him with this.

[@Vickie-Bligh]

Thank you so very much, Adam. Your known love of space suits plus your celebrity allows you access that no one else can get...and you take us with you. I may never get to DC and see this but I have now seen this suit in its beauty because of you. That means so much.

[@ian0921]

Watching the video you can tell Adam wants to touch it so bad but knows he can't so he's crossing his arms behind his back across his chest putting them in his pockets everything so he doesn't to resist the urge to touch

[@tested]

This checks out.

[@tjasra]

I imagine Adam was thinking if he could replicate that fabric as they were telling him how it was made originally.

[@asicdathens]

Aluminum vapor deposition can be done even at home

[@Arkanic]

You know it!

[@asicdathens]

@@Arkanic It is widely used to coat telescope mirrors. I've seen many people doing it ,You need a box, a vacuum pump and a power supply ( some sacrificial aluminum as well)

[@Arkanic]

@@asicdathens Interesting, I can't help but wonder what type of adhesive they used. I suppose if they didn't use any the coating would come off fabric too easily.

[@SyzygyNoon]

In the face of history, the thing that’s been there, lovingly kept and maintained. It won’t last forever, but it has its keepers and its lovers.

[@FRXable]

I just love your enthusiasm Adam! The way you show and tell about things in your videos with so much passion just makes it impossible not to get fascinated myself, no matter the topic :)

[@michaelscott2789]

Adam had gotten up close to some seriously interesting stuff over time. Lucky man and glad he's taking us with him so we can hear a little about it.👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇳🇱

[@mindeloman]

It took and incredible amount of nerve and courage to get on top of a rocket in that era. Private companies are JUST now able to send people up on comparable flights that was Shepard's Mercury flight. I always loved the footage of Shepard getting out of the van in this spacesuit and looking up at the rocket. A pilot is always going to lookever his craft.

[@thegodofhellfire]

So fascinating! Adam's reaction is great!

[@jameskirk5671]

I marvel at the things that Adam gets to see that are completely mind blowing and I truly marvel that he can keep his shit together while he’s doing it Personally I’d be losing my mind

[@theejectionsite1038]

The lacing they describe is similar to that used on the partial pressure MC-series suits which were partial pressure suits. Those used the lacing to prevent ballooning of the suit and occupant. In low pressure environments the hoses along the edges would be inflated pulling all the fabric and laces tight to provide counterpressure to the expansion. In this suit it was most likely to minimize the expansion of the air in the pressure suit and assist in maintaining the ability to move. The later suits used the accordion-like sections to keep the volume even and the rigid material did this same function

[@Platypi007]

I love that Adam knew exactly what it was the second it was revealed!

[@scottgoebel4671]

Thank you for bringing this footage to us. What a treat to simply see the suit and know that it's being preserved.

[@gdp3rd]

I know Adam geeked out over Neil Armstrong's spacesuit, but for me Alan Shepard was the OG astronaut (well, Yuri Gagarin later, but as a kid it was Shepard). I need to get back to DC to see the suit and the capsule together!

[@mechmannfr]

And as soon as this shot was done Adam filled his phone with close ups of everything.

[@tested]

Pretty much!

[@alangrant5278]

Nice to appreciate the depth of knowledge and experience and expertise the conservator ladies have.

[@williammason2305]

3 year old me woke up in the dark pre-dawn to the sound to the TV. I went to the living room where my dad had his chair pulled up 2 feet from the fuzzy gray picture - a static camera on the door at the base of the gantry with a single lightbulb above it - at the time that was the only shot with enough light for the camera. I remeber seeing that suit go through that door. Once dawn came i got to see the rocket. I sat on dad's lap for hours with him explaining what was going on and why it was important. A few months later I made a spaceship with cardboard boxes, beginning a life of making.

[@bigsarge2085]

Amazing!

[@maxbowen6482]

I love watching him nerd out over stuff

[@Chet_Brinkley]

I am highly impressed by the quality of your production in bringing to us, the public, an item that in logistics and parts talk is an assembly that played a very large part of the history of the space program and of our country. I recall very clearly watching Mr. Sheppard crawling into that capsule, FREINDSHIP 7, and 👀 him crawling out a shot time later. Fantastic memories for me and even more for the future curious children and space travel enthusiasts yet to come .

[@jasonbrand1984]

As legend states, Shepard urinated in the suit prior to lift off due to delays, I really want to know if any residue from that has had an effect on the suit

[@jimstanga6390]

Adam could certainly replicate that…..

[@TreantmonksTemple]

First thing I wondered was if there would be any effect from the urine. I don't think it's legend, they didn't want to go through the logistics of removing him from the capsule while he waited there for hours to launch, so told him just to urinate in his suit.

[@plumsink]

That was actually the first question that came to my mind: "what about the pee?" ;)

[@jonpattison]

It's not legend, it's a fact. Shepherd spent several hours waiting for launch and he did in fact pee in his space suit. I kept wondering the whole time "does it still smell? Or was that part of preservation?" I so envy Adam.

[@mog512]

Adam has one hell of a bucket list, he keeps saying this so often when he sees stuff like that, and I totally agree!

[@candamorgan]

Adam is a lucky man!!

[@alanmarston8612]

Fantastic. That takes me back to the time I watched the series. I just learned something. Thank You.

[@ronniebauman28]

How amazing is this. What a treat.

[@sandgroper1970]

Geek out, I was in Washington like 20 years ago, and spent a whole day just wandering the halls of the Air and Space museum....

[@willhouse]

Those aluminized early NASA suits really draw you in whenever you get to see one! Ed White's Gemini training suit's cover layer was on display in the Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds museum exhibit & I spent at least 10 full minutes ogling all its shiny awesomeness. That was probably the last aluminized outer-layer design made, too, because by the time White did his EVA on Gemini IV NASA had realized that their white fabric offered better thermal stability. Of course, when encountering something worn by White there's some deeper emotion involved as well for anyone who's seen photos of the burned-out Apollo capsule where he died trying to open the hatch that proved so utterly immovable.

[@paulstan9828]

Wow!! How cool is that.

[@tilenmoder]

Great reaction and a nice hat you got there Adam :)

[@bcgrittner8076]

“Permission to relieve bladder”. Spoken by Alan Shepherd during the long pre-launch hold.

[@bumblbesss]

I Bet Adams " I Want To Wear It Meter" Was Off The Charts !!!!!!!!

[@donaldpriola1807]

I live all my nerd fantasies through Adam. :)

[@christhesmith]

Watching Adam have a geek-seizure warmed my heart. I bet he had a headache after that day out!

[@APV878]

SUPER COOL!

[@7775Kevin]

I’d love to see this. Will have to go to DC again!

[@flutterguy965]

How many hours was Adam allowed to keep looking? How strong was the impulse to touch it? Those are things I really wonder about.

[@catfish552]

And how many hundreds of photos did he take?

[@tested]

Ha! We had a lot to accomplish, so if memory serves, Adam spent about 20 minutes in total marveling at the suit and taking photos.

[@geoffpedder]

wow, what an honor to see that!

[@vandliszt]

The hat... I love that hat. It’s so elegant and beautiful with magnificent color.

[@8jt]

That is an amazing pice of history! Thanks for sharing!! It's my dream to do a build with you. After an injury and back surgery in 2016, itI have not been able to build and design things as much as I use to. Your videos inspire me and they give me the drive to get back into the shop. Hopefully one day I get to do a build with you so I can check it off of my bucket list.

[@charlessoule8587]

I kinda laughed at Adam, tightly holding his hands behind his back. You know he just wanted to touch and pick up that suit!

[@johnboze]

Both Alan Shepard and my Father can be seen in the famous B&W photo taken in Firing Room 1 just after the launch of Apollo 11. Dad even got Alan's signature on his Launch Operations Manual along with Deke Slayton and Wernher von Braun. Dad sat in the back stacks as he was the IBM DDAS Telemetry Network Controller. More on Dad at #ProjectApolloFilm.

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

Very cool

[@HowellMDH]

Get you someone that looks at you like Adam Looks at space suits.

[@tested]

Ha!

[@KarlRoyale]

For Adam this is Graceland!

[@donbeary6394]

Reboot The Suit is still paying off .. so happy I donated

[@GoatPrint]

I would also have to put my hands in pockets or behind my back! It begs to be touched.

[@jasonbrand1984]

I would have so asked for conservator gloves if possible

[@foetaltreborus2017]

takes me back to the 60s at my Grans ..saving cuttings from the "Daily Sketch " (I think)...as man went into space .......had an "Action man " with one of these suits & even a capsule.......My Mum got rid of it as I grew ..."MOTHER" ! ! ! .

[@iangregory3719]

A good material to use on a replica suit build is the one used to make aircraft canopy covers. A relatively lightweight fabric with the same Alumised coating, easily sewn, and looks the part. I wouldn't want to wear one without a cooling undergarment though.

[@anthonyscira2511]

What a job ! Getting paid to work on history. Very cool.

[@neoquegon]

One day in the far future someone is going to see a space suit in a museum and go "OMG is that an original nasa suit" and one of the staff will reply "no its an Adam Savage original" and the patron will lose his mind

[@rsm014]

Happy for you Adam. You should move to Houston when you retire, so you can be close to all this stuff.

[@NickElectronics]

Proper suit to go outside on a quarantine.

[@MarvinClarence]

Here’s what I was thinking of. A spaceflight on Dragon or New Shepard wearing a remake/replica of this spacesuit. Wouldn’t that be smashing?

[@gate7clamp]

I look at this and then I compared to the SpaceX launch entry suits and we’ve come along way in a span of 60 years

[@philkight2630]

I love how Adam picks up instantly on the green undersuit....

[@Christians_outdoors]

Wow

[@cookingwithjesus]

The second Adam asked about the panel you know he’s thinking about making that.

[@carolinekim6884]

Stan the queen Lisa 😩😩

[@AlejandroRonayDesign]

I'd like to know how Adam organizes his photo archives. He must have hundreds of thousands of photos which I'm sure have some sort of systematic naming in order to find what he needs from them later.

[@Azazle1000]

wow Adams gasp! when she moved the cover lol man he was geeking!! out.

[@tested]

We REALLY wanted to surprise Adam, and did manage to keep it under wraps until we were ready to film. So this was a legitimate reaction.

[@peterkelley6344]

@@tested I was wondering what the circumstances were for this presentation was. How cool that it was a planned surprise for him!

[@r21174]

more more of that

[@biserker1delta61]

Adam is the luckiest man on earth

[@ElSelcho77]

For a second there, I thought Jewel Staite was there in Character :D

[@HermanVonPetri]

Well the suit is... _shiny!_

[@Question_Marked]

So cool!

[@world_ender9500]

Oh hell yeah! This is going to be a good one!

[@mattl5826]

Just finished watching the bio movie "Gagarin" 10 minutes ago and thought Adam should make his helmet and suit - the very first space suit! Alan Shepard's is cool too though.😉

[@SyntheticFuture]

Would it be beneficial to store this either in a vacuum or an inert gas? Seems like an idea if you want to stretch the preservation as much as possible right?

[@535tony]

Alan Shepard was the only member of the Mercury seven to walk on the Moon. 1971 on Apollo 14.

[@NekoFallen]

I am sure that Adam took hundreds of photos of this suit, inside and out, while he had the chance to see it in person like this. Definitely going to be an upgrade/rebuild on his own Mercury Suit.

[@dandare6865]

Alan Shepard one of the luckiest men ever..to be one of the first astronauts AND later to go to the moon!

[@xgford94]

Not just A RIGHT STUFF suit but THE RIGHT STUFF suit

[@Veptis]

The military style Amphenol connector is curious. I got a few of these in a giant box

[@johnabbottphotography]

I like how they edited out the part where Adam immediately turned to his cameraman and insisted that he get a close up of everything. "EVERY. THING. Like, I'm not kidding... everything." Or was that just kinda understood as someone who works with Adam?

[@kraigson]

I can imagine someone saying to Adam... "Would you to like to be alone for a while?" I wonder how long it'll be before we see another costume build thread with this subject.

[@2H80vids]

Yep, there was a weird "mortuary slab" about the way it was laid out, kinda like Adam was identifying the victim of a space accident - ish.

[@ohioken1]

Lol, I wouldn’t be surprised if they left him alone, only to return and finding him wearing it.

[@sailingvesperonthechesapea8111]

Adam, I’m surprised that you didn’t ask if there was any “residue or scent” in the suite from Shephard having been force to urinate while he was sitting on the launch pad. I’m sure that coming back from space in a urine saturated space suite that was then put in storage would be a problem in archiving the suite.

[@markdavis2475]

Funny I was thinking the same thing! I was wondering if the suit was washed after the flight.

[@ESowder24]

The whole time you were probably thinking Don’t touch don’t touch don’t touch!

[@stevenlarratt3638]

What would Adams top ten bucket list items to see/do...

[@johngranato2673]

super

[@Nueztoy]

He has to put his hands in his pockets, lol.Give this man a par of gloves!

[@robertkennion9020]

I see you getting some sneaky photos for reference :)

[@tested]

100%

[@jeffandrews8578]

haha the Adam Savage version of a "kid in a candy store" :P

[@alittletexasingeorgia]

what was the strap inside the cuff area and what was it for?

[@ohioken1]

I was expecting some conversation regarding the effects of urinating in the suit. Even though it was only a 15 minute flight, there were several holds during the countdown to launch, in which time Alan Shepard had to pee really bad. He was given permission to pee in his suit.

[@TetsuyaMcCuddin]

Hot damn! I did NOT know until right now that a piece of space history both STILL EXISTED and will be on display! ...this whole scene kinda looks like an alien autopsy, though.😁

[@douglas.turner]

Say, does anybody know what the multi-coloured artwork on the rolling rack is?

[@peterkelley6344]

Sounds like Adam gained a lot of information for his own replica of this suite. It is not clear if Smithsonian gave him the choice to see this suite, or if they surprised him with it.

[@barneymiller7894]

Vapor deposited coatings in this era! 3M is basically wizards. 💁

[@michellegray7892]

Watching him struggling so hard not to touch LOL (Mind you, I don't blame him in the least, I'd be struggling too haha)