eva/security visor solution

[Ral Partha]

anyone know exactly WHY astronauts have that gold film? it makes sense with MC seeing as how he can float through space and all, but why that even? it shouldnt have mattered, maybe nasa just thought gold looked cool...

They serve as a filter against harmful radiation. On earth, it's not necessary to have it because the air molecules in the atmosphere serve that purpose by stopping and absorbing most of the radiation before getting to us. In outer space where extra-vehicular activities (EVA) are performed, although the rest of the body is protected by the heavy space suit, there is no such shielding in the face area. Imagine getting very severe sunburns on your face within minutes of exposure outside the space vehicle. Hence they use gold foil, which serves as a layer of protection without sacrificing transparency.

Gold foil and layering it on a curved face shield is expensive and NASA is not in the business of putting something there just because it looks cool. It has to serve a very important purpose. Otherwise, it will just be extra dead weight which they don't need. Reducing weight is of utmost importance next to safety.