Consider the amount of harmful UVA and UVB rays that are filtered through the atmosphere. With the earth’s outer shield, our planet is protected from 98.7% of the sun’s UV rays, yet thesmall amount that makes it through can still be very damaging. Now imagine direct sunlight without the protection of the ozone. That’s the kind of harmful light that astronauts have to deal with while floating in outer space -- no protection from the earth, only undiluted sunlight directly from the fiery star itself. For this reason, astronauts need sunglasses while on the job, and they need the best protection that earth’s technology can provide.
Gold Lenses
Whether wearing sunglasses or a helmet with a tinted visor, astronaut lenses have a thin layer of gold for extra protection. Since astronauts can travel over 400,000km from the earth, the sun’s rays are considerably closer and can cause much more damage. The gold coating aids in reflecting nearly all light wavelengths to the same degree. This kind of reflection is imperative for astronauts, especially when they are on spacewalks outside the shuttle. In addition to gold coating, astronaut lenses must be darker than typical sunglass lenses, similar to welding goggles.
Frames for Space
Until the 1990s, NASA only provided the standard Aviator sunglasses for astronauts. The Austrian sunglasses company Silhouette started making sunglasses that were tailor-made for astronauts in the mid 90s, called the Voyager line, with special lenses that reduced light transmission. They furthered the technology in 2000 by inventing a new frame-style that incorporated a screwless, hingeless frame called Titanium Minimal Art. This frame’s purpose is to stay secured to the astronauts face in zero-gravity, with or without a space helmet on. Without hinges or screws, astronauts don’t take the risk of having any small parts come loose inside the helmet. Silhouette has been the standard eyewear for NASA ever since, and they have continuously collaborated with NASA optometrists in the creation of space eyewear.
