: Yeah I've always figured that the armor is meant to be vacuum-capable even
: though it totally doesn't look like it should be, because in the M1 manual
: prologue the SO starts scrambling for his armor the moment Durandal
: initiates decompression of the Miriata. So the art is just in error.
Perhaps the shield is for more than just withstanding blows in combat. Maintaining constant pressure could be a function. He can sink pretty deep in a large body of water without the opposite effect (too much stuff weighing down on him) being a problem. The shield keeps out intense lava heat until it breaks, as well.