Was NASAs New Space Suit Inspired by Buzz Lightyear?

A prototype space suit developed by NASA wouldn't look out of place on the set of Toy Story. That's because the suit, called Z-1, bears an uncanny resemblance to the intercosmic uniform worn by Buzz Lightyear.

For the uninitiated, Buzz is the "space-ranger" star of Toy Story, a popular computer-animated film franchise. The Z-1, a white suit lined with neon green, looks remarkably similar to the astronaunt action figure's outfit.

The Advanced Space Suit team of the NASA-Johnson Space Center performed a series of tests with the prototype suit, including waist and hip testing and joint torque testing. What is learned from the Z-1 will be applied to the Z-2, the next-generation prototype,…
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