Toy Story

NASA’s first operational spacesuit lives on in a doll-size replica.

Management at B.F. Goodrich probably could have handed out paperweights. But when the company’s spacesuit division finished designing and constructing the iconic silver suits worn by the Mercury 7 astronauts, key staff received something unexpected: a three-foot-tall doll wearing a scaled-down copy of the real Mercury spacesuit. In the world of space collectibles, the dolls are a rarity. Only nine of the suit-clad dolls were made: one for each of the seven Mercury astronauts, one for B.F. Goodrich’s spacesuit product manager, and one for the chief suit engineer.

Curator Cathleen Lewis, who oversees the National Air and Space Museum’s collection of spacesuits, is impressed by the quality of the doll-size Mercury suits. “The suit is so well done,” says Lewis. “It looks almost identical to the suits worn by the Mercury astronauts, but it has no interior pressure bladder, and the helmet and boots are much simplified versions of the full-size equipment.” (The interior bladder is what would have kept the Mercury astronauts alive had their space capsules depressurized during their 1961–63 missions.)

In addition to the Museum’s spacesuit doll, Lewis knows the whereabouts of two others, both in Ohio. One is at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and the other is at the University of Akron. 

Like the real Mercury suits, the doll suit has an aluminized outer layer that is bonded to an inner layer of dark green nylon. Adhesive holds the two layers together; as with the real spacesuits, the adhesive is slowly deteriorating. The Museum’s suit (with the doll still inside) is kept in a climate-controlled storage unit alongside the Museum’s collection of full-size spacesuits. To help preserve these valuable artifacts—real and replica—the storage unit is set at a steady 60 degrees Fahrenheit and less than 30 percent humidity. 

Diane Tedeschi is Air & Space Quarterly’s senior editor.

This article is from the Fall 2024 issue of Air & Space Quarterly, the National Air and Space Museum's signature magazine that explores topics in aviation and space, from the earliest moments of flight to today. Explore the full issue.

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