Long before astronauts take hardware into space, dedicated scientists and engineers are enlisted to test space hardware and discover bugs that may be easy to fix on the ground, but life threatening or expensive to fix in space. Dean Eppler spent a decade experimenting with NASA's advanced planetary space suits, ranging from geologic activities at Meteor Crater to testing the ergonomics of rover seats at lunar and Martian gravities. This presentation will give the audience an idea what it's like to work in a space suit, and why they are designed and built the way they are.