Request Orbital scooter

[tblaxland]

When that's the case, I don't think there will be much need for pressure suits in anything but emergency situations. So a "broomstick" vehicle won't be really practical. Probably a compact "shuttle pod" is what we will see to move people around.

I agree, you can't even eat in a space suit and that pretty well puts an upper limit on how much time you can stay in it of, say, 8 hours. Yeah, I know, you can have nutrient fluids but would you really want to do that for as much as 24 hours?

 

[Andy44]

If you have an operating environment where people stay suited up all the time like Heinlein envisioned, it may work. But I agree that a pressurized cabin is very nice to have, even if it adds some mass.

Most people working in space may still have to drag their own personal suit around with them as they transfer from vessel to vessel, though, even if they only wear it occasionally. I think it is analogous to having your own SCUBA gear, which if you've ever seen how people treat rental gear seems like a wise investment.