Suiting up for the red planet

We´re likely still at least a couple of decades away from landing people on Mars, but the space suits that will protect those astronauts are very much in development. Last year, NASA made headlines when it invited the public to choose the design that would decorate the exterior of the Z-2, a new suit designed to be mobile enough to explore the Red Planet. And its manufacturer, longtime space-suit maker ILC Dover, based in Frederica, Del., has now put the finishing touches on that suit, which is set for a public unveiling in a few months. Some would argue that we can´t get started on Mars suits soon enough. Today???s space suits are designed for delicate work in zero gravity, not the rigors of a months-long trek around the base of Olympus Mons.