TheShuttle Ejection Escape Suit was used fromSTS-1 (1981) toSTS-4 (1982) by a two-man crew used in conjunction withSpace ShuttleColumbia's ejection seats. It allowed ejections up to Mach 2.7 and 24.4 km (80,000 ft).[1] The suit was manufactured by theDavid Clark Company ofWorcester, Massachusetts. It was derived from theUSAF Model S1030 suit, which at the time, was being worn bySR-71 pilots.[1] The Shuttle was certified as operational forSTS-5, at which point the escape suits were replaced with light blue coveralls.[1] The seats themselves were deactivated duringSTS-5 and removed beforeSTS-9, with the intervening flights conducted bySpace ShuttleChallenger, which did not have ejection seats.
