How 1950s scientists prepared human bodies for space

Air Force researchers created weightlessness inside a modified transport plane flying parabolic paths, testing human motor control and eating in zero-G.

Early Zero Gravity Tests in Flight

Surviving 500°F inside a prototype spacesuit

To simulate the brutal heat of atmospheric re-entry, researchers placed a pilot in an MC-2 suit while quartz lamps heated the chamber to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Testing a Space Suit at 500 Degrees

Human survived 82.6 G-forces on a rocket track

Rocket sled experiments at Holloman Air Force Base tested deceleration limits, culminating in an extreme run where Captain Eli Beeding briefly absorbed over 82 Gs.

Surviving 82.6 Gs on a Rocket Sled

Chimpanzees at Holloman Air Force Base were trained to solve complex control panel tasks and endure simulated capsule environments prior to human missions.

The Chimpanzees Trained for Space

[02:44] Early Zero Gravity Tests in Flight
[04:40] Testing a Space Suit at 500 Degrees
[09:51] Surviving 82.6 Gs on a Rocket Sled
[11:00] The Chimpanzees Trained for Space

How 1950s scientists prepared human bodies for space

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