Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment
Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment
This Constant Wear Garment was worn by Buzz Aldrin during training for the historic Apollo 11 mission. It is identical to the one that he wore during his flight to the Moon in 1969.The Apollo Constant Wear Garment (CWG) was worn underneath flightsuits and the spacesuits that the crew wore inside the Command Module. This one-piece underwear was designed to keep the wearer comfortable. It helped to absorb sweat, as well as to hold the biomedical instrumentation system in place. Medical staff in Mission Control needed to monitor the health of each crew member, so a biomedical belt with electrodes was worn by the astronauts to provide data on their condition.
The CWG was an essential piece of clothing for the Apollo missions, providing comfort and playing an important role in monitoring the crew. Holes in the CWG allowed the medical electrodes to fix to the skin, whilst openings in the groin and the rear allowed the astronauts to go to the toilet without having to take the whole garment off - although many preferred to take the CWG off for this delicate process.
All images:
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![Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment, worn during training]()
Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment, worn during training -
![Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment, worn during training]()
Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment, worn during training -
![Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment on display]()
Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment on display -
![Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment on display]()
Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment on display -
![Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment on display]()
Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment on display -
![A rare picture of an Apollo astronaut wearing only his Constant Wear Garment. Harrison Schmitt poses for a pic during Apollo 17 - Credit: NASA]()
A rare picture of an Apollo astronaut wearing only his Constant Wear Garment. Harrison Schmitt poses for a pic during Apollo 17 - Credit: NASA -
![Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment label, showing that it was updated to the configuration used during Apollo 11]()
Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment label, showing that it was updated to the configuration used during Apollo 11 -
![Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear nametag. In 1968 Aldrin was still using his first name, Edwin, before officially changing it to Buzz in the 1980s]()
Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear nametag. In 1968 Aldrin was still using his first name, Edwin, before officially changing it to Buzz in the 1980s -
![Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment, with name label and dosimeter pocket. Dosimeter pockets were positioned in the ankle, thigh, and chest areas - to give an accurate radiation reading for different body areas from throughout the mission]()
Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment, with name label and dosimeter pocket. Dosimeter pockets were positioned in the ankle, thigh, and chest areas - to give an accurate radiation reading for different body areas from throughout the mission -
![Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment, dosimeter label. In this pocket a dosimeter was inserted, which measured the crew members exposure to radiation during the mission]()
Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment, dosimeter label. In this pocket a dosimeter was inserted, which measured the crew members exposure to radiation during the mission -
![Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment, dosimeter label. In this pocket a dosimeter was inserted, which measured the crew members exposure to radiation during the mission]()
Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment, dosimeter label. In this pocket a dosimeter was inserted, which measured the crew members exposure to radiation during the mission -
![Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment, dosimeter label. In this pocket a dosimeter was inserted, which measured the crew members exposure to radiation during the mission]()
Buzz Aldrin's Constant Wear Garment, dosimeter label. In this pocket a dosimeter was inserted, which measured the crew members exposure to radiation during the mission
More information
Object number
2018-1
Location
Welcome Hall
Has this object been into space?
No
Dimension - Dimension, Value, Measurement unit
Length: 163cm
Width: 75cm
Material
Textile
Cotton
Elastic
Plastic
Polyester
Copper alloy
Chrome
Materials & techniques note
Cotton knit garment, with plastic buttons, metal snap buttons, and openings for the medical biosensors to be pushed through
Inscription Content - Content
Label Text: Constant Wear Garment P/N SEB 13100061-208 Size MR S/N 1228 Date August 1968 Contract No. NAS 9-7721 Contractor Atlas Underwear Corp.
Associated Organisation
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Associated event
Apollo 11
Associated Person
Buzz Aldrin
Object Production Date
August 1968
Object Production Organisation
Atlas Underwear Corporation
Object Production Place
Ohio
Piqua
United States
On Display Status
On display
Copyright and Photos
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
