This is how conspiracy theories ought to work. Perfectly fine to raise a question, and dismissed when you get the answer. Absent is the rampant speculation and unfounded claims.
It's because they find evidence to support their truth, instead of formulating a theory based in the evidence. I've heard it described with the circle analogy.
Imagine the absolute truth is a circle, but we don't know what the shape is. By doing research, we find out certain facts as points on that circle. We can then draw straight lines between those points, and draw a shape that's as close to the absolute truth as we can get, with the data we have. Further research and discoveries place more dots, sometimes falling outside of the lines we've drawn. So we redraw the shape more and more, always increasing towards that circle. That's how science works.
Conspiracy theorist do the opposite. They draw a random shape (that's nowhere near a circle, like a star), and then go out to find proof that fits on that shape. Some proof is correct - it just happens to fall on the same lines as the circle. Others are completely out there, aligning with their shape, but not with the circle (because it's not relevant to the truth). And if they do find proof that fits on the circle, but not on their star, it's ignored.
I like debates but most conspiracy debates are absolutely insufferable because of this. No matter how many points get completely debunked, they move on to the next one, and even worse, continue spreading the debunked points afterwards. They don't give a shit about science or the truth.
That doesn't include R&D, and very notably doesn't include things the life support backpack or helmet either. If you add those, you come to something like nearly 2 million in 1967 money, or nearly 19 million in modern money.
Best I could find were a 5 million and 100m dollar order for the 60ish suits plus 20m for what I'm guessing are 60 more PLSS units, though I'll admit there might be fewer of those. Inflation happens and you're on my number. But if you have a better source than someone said it on a forum once, I'll gladly accept it.
Regardless, it was crazy expensive, and shouldn't be swapped out with the other. The point stands
Custom tailored suits that have to fit you perfectly so you donβt die. And might have to put them on very fast in an emergency, in low or zero g, with potential limited light. Big, high contrast, labels are probably helpful.
Also, these things were tested and iterated on repeatedly. If something is on that suit, itβs often because itβs solving a problem that was identified in a past test.