This sleeve cap belongs to the spacesuit that NASA astronaut Norman Thagard wore during the launch to the space station Mir on board Soyuz TM-21 on March 14, 1995 enroute to the Mir Space station as a member of the Mir 18 Mission (3/14/95-7/7/95). Dr. Thagard was the first American to participate in a joint Russian-American human flight mission since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. He is also the first (and to date only) American to launch on board a Soyuz spacecraft.
The cap is part of the Sokol KV-2 (Falcon) pressure suit. Astronauts use the cap to close the spacesuit while it is in storage during their stay on board a space station. The cap prevents dust and other materials from entering the suit while in storage, while a small hole in its center prevents the condensation of moisture inside the suit.
Transferred from NASA to the Museum in 1996.
This sleeve cap belongs to the spacesuit that NASA astronaut Norman Thagard wore during the launch to the space station Mir on board Soyuz TM-21 on March 14, 1995 enroute to the Mir Space station as a member of the Mir 18 Mission (3/14/95-7/7/95). Dr. Thagard was the first American to participate in a joint Russian-American human flight mission since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. He is also the first (and to date only) American to launch on board a Soyuz spacecraft.
The cap is part of the Sokol KV-2 (Falcon) pressure suit. Astronauts use the cap to close the spacesuit while it is in storage during their stay on board a space station. The cap prevents dust and other materials from entering the suit while in storage, while a small hole in its center prevents the condensation of moisture inside the suit.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.