Short answers, pulled from the story.
The MOOSE system is a suitcase-sized emergency device designed to eject an astronaut from orbit using a rocket motor and polyurethane foam. An astronaut climbs into a PET film bag, fills it with expanding foam to form a blunt cone heat shield, and ignites a twin-nozzle rocket motor to deorbit before parachuting to safety.
General Electric engineers devised the MOOSE system in the early 1960s as a solution for astronauts stranded in orbit. The program was originally named Man Out Of Space Easiest before being rebranded as Manned Orbital Operations Safety Equipment and was quietly shelved by the end of the 1960s.
NASA and the U.S. Air Force rejected the MOOSE system due to its high development cost, low probability of use, and the belief that other safety measures could mitigate space travel risks. The system remained an extreme emergency measure that was never considered safe or enticing enough for widespread adoption.
General Electric conducted rigorous tests including flying heat shield materials on a Mercury mission and dropping human subjects embedded in foam-filled bags from short distances. Captain Joe Kittinger provided additional data on extreme parachuting feasibility during his August 1960 freefall from 102,800 feet.
The MOOSE system resurfaced in public discussions in the 21st century after decades of being a closely guarded secret. Articles and documentaries highlighted its bizarre design and the desperate circumstances that led to its creation during the Cold War era.