The National Aeronautics and Space Administration unveiled its first major spacesuit redesign in four decades.
The new suit was built by Axiom Space in Houston in collaboration with NASA, according to the agency’s website. The first prototype was unveiled at an event at the Space Center Houston in Texas. The final version of the suit will be worn on the Artemis III mission, the United States’s return to the moon. The suit is called the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or AxEMU.
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“NASA’s partnership with Axiom is critical to landing astronauts on the moon and continuing American leadership in space. Building on NASA’s years of research and expertise, Axiom’s next-generation spacesuits will not only enable the first woman to walk on the moon, but they will also open opportunities for more people to explore and conduct science on the moon than ever before,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said.
Under the contract with Axiom, the company will be responsible for the design, development, qualification, certification, and production of flight training spacesuits and support equipment for the Artemis III mission, while NASA will be responsible for astronaut training, mission planning, and approval of the service systems.
“NASA is leading the way in enabling a growing space economy by leveraging industry capabilities and NASA’s expertise to provide moonwalking services as safely, effectively, and efficiently as possible,” Lara Kearney, manager of NASA’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility program, said.
The suit is flexible and is estimated to be able to accommodate around 90% of the male and female population of the U.S.
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However, the suit will look different when astronauts step onto the moon: the black, orange, and blue color scheme will be covered by a white insulation layer for thermal protection, according to the New York Times.
NASA’s press release stated that the Artemis III mission will send the first woman and non-white astronauts to the moon.
