Not only should mandatory seat belt use on commercial flights end, but so should the use of IVA spacesuits. In their 60+ years of history in service, zero lives have been saved by these suits and in real contingencies they failed to save lives at all. Yet astronauts still spend huge amounts of time just to learn how to don and doff them. Today these suits exist more as a symbol. Wearing them is more for show or status. Once a large enough crewed spacecraft enters service, we could build in a separate, independently pressurized compartment to serve as a refuge in the event of fire or depressurization. This would free up a huge amount of time for astronauts, allowing them to focus much more on their real work.
Replying to @daavery @bscholl
Serious injuries happen once per 400 billion miles flown in the US in the last decade. But most of the time, your have your seat belt on, and it’s just hidden under the blanket while you’re asleep. Yet the flight attendant hysterically insists on lifting your blanket to check before they’re satisfied. This is especially annoying for first- and business-class passengers.
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Replying to @satofishi
Had the Soyuz 11 crew been wearing IVA suits they would have survived

Sep 24, 2026 · 5:15 AM UTC

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