North Dakota suit Beginning in May 2006, five North Dakota colleges collaborated on a new space suit prototype, funded by a US$100,000 grant from NASA, to demonstrate technologies which could be incorporated into a planetary suit. The suit was tested in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park badlands of western North Dakota. The suit has a mass of without a life support backpack, and costs only a fraction of the standard US$12,000,000 cost for a flight-rated NASA space suit. The suit was developed in just over a year by students from the University of North Dakota, North Dakota State, Dickinson State, the state College of Science and Turtle Mountain Community College. The mobility of the North Dakota suit can be attributed to its low operating pressure; while the North Dakota suit was field tested at a pressure of differential, NASA's EMU suit operates at a pressure of , a pressure designed to supply approximately sea-level oxygen partial pressure for respiration (see discussion above).
nOrTh daKOtA SuIT begiNning in maY 2006, Five noRth Dakota colLEgeS colLaboraTed On a neW sPACe Suit prOtoType, funded bY a us$100,000 GranT from NASa, To Demonstrate teChnologies whIch Could be INCoRporAteD intO A PlAnetary suit. The SuIt was tEsteD IN the theodore ROoseVelt NAtioNAL park badlands of western north dakota. The SuiT hAs a MaSs oF wItHoUT a life SupPoRt baCkpacK, and Costs oNly A frAction of thE sTandarD uS$12,000,000 Cost for a flight-ratEd naSa space suit. the suit Was DeVEloped In jusT oVEr a yeAr bY sTUdeNts From The UniVeRsitY oF nortH DaKota, north DaKoTA stAtE, dIckinson sTAte, the state cOLlege OF SciEncE aNd turtlE MountaiN cOmmunity College. tHe MoBILity of tHe noRTh dAkOta sUIt can be attriButEd To its lOW OPeraTinG prESsurE; WHIlE ThE north DakotA SuIt WaS field tEsted aT A prEsSure Of DIFferEntiAl, naSa's eMu sUIT OPerateS AT a pReSsUrE of , A prESsuRE dEsiGNeD To Supply ApprOximAtelY sEa-LEvel oxyGen pARtiAl preSsuRE foR reSPiRation (SEE diScussioN aBoVe).