"John Smith" wrote in message
...
| Most of the Apollo pre flight footage shows the Astronauts carrying a
| particular type of what looks like Aluminium briefcase. What make were
| these cases and are they still available today.

Oxygen. At a certain point after suit-up the astronauts began breathing
pure oxygen to allow the dissolved nitrogen in their blood to be eliminated.
Otherwise the lowering of the cabin pressure at ascent would have given the
astronauts "the bends" -- painful, and sometimes fatal.

Shuttle astronauts do not require this because their cabin environment is
basically a duplicate of sea-level earth air. Astronauts preparing for
shuttle EVAs pre-breathe with oxygen to accomplish the same results.

As to whether they are "still available," I think you could probably find
examples in museums, but that exact equipment is no longer needed and so
it's no longer manufactured.

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|
The universe is not required to conform | Jay Windley
to the expectations of the ignorant. | webmaster @ clavius.org