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Following this question about new spacesuits (xEMU), I was wondering how resistant to shock might be the biggest rotating seal, (at waist level) considering an astronaut might fall or be hit by some objects. What kinds of mechanical stresses can they withstand until they're not gas tight anymore, compared to multilayered current spacesuits?

For instance, being inadvertantly sandwiched between two massive objects looks like more frightening wearing a suit with rigid parts, than wearing a soft one.

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    $\begingroup$ "being inadvertantly sandwiched between two massive objects looks like more frightening wearing a suit with rigid parts, than wearing a soft one." except for the whole being crushed part $\endgroup$ Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 14:21
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    $\begingroup$ I would really worry about falling/stumbling… as we saw in lots of videos, it did happen during Apollo. Some joint deforming and leaking due to this would be catastrophic. $\endgroup$
    – DarkDust
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 14:31
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    $\begingroup$ The Apollo space suit had many outer layers for micro meteorite protection, but there was only one inner gas-tight layer. $\endgroup$
    – Uwe
    Commented Oct 22, 2019 at 14:48
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    $\begingroup$ They already use similar rotating joints on the EMU wrist and elbow; I think it’s the same technology. $\endgroup$ Commented Oct 23, 2019 at 3:09
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    $\begingroup$ They may use a bumper bar structure around the rotating bearing and seal. Honeycomb structures may be used as lightweight shock absorbers. So that the outer bumper and shock absorbers are deformed but not the inner bearing and seal. $\endgroup$
    – Uwe
    Commented Oct 23, 2019 at 9:47

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