This may be one of the most famous space suits of all time. That astronaut is Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, the pilot of Apollo 11's lunar module "Eagle," standing on the moon's Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969. The photo was taken by flight commander Neil Armstrong.
The Apollo suit was custom-tailored to each astronaut, and each man had three suits--one for training, one for the flight and one as backup. It had to be relatively lightweight (about 180 pounds, including life support backpack) to allow work in the moon's gravity, and it was for onetime use only.
Today's space suits for the shuttle crews are more off-the-rack, with a number of interchangeable parts. They're also considerably heavier, given that they're meant to be used in zero gravity environments--including the life support system, they weigh about 310 pounds apiece (110 pounds for the suit itself). They're designed to last for up to 15 years.
Photo by NASA
