NASA Moon Mission Spacesuit Nears Milestone
The next-generation spacesuit for NASA’s Artemis III mission continues to advance by successfully passing a contractor-led technical review, as the agency prepares to send humans to the Moon’s South Pole for the first time. Testing is also underway for the new suits, built by Axiom Space, with NASA astronauts and spacesuit engineers recently simulating surface operations and underwater tasks to demonstrate safety and mobility.
The AxEMU (Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit) is designed to provide astronauts with increased flexibility and improved mobility for moonwalking, including bending to collect geological samples and perform various scientific tasks. The suit features increased size options and adjustability to fit a wider range of crew members. It incorporates advanced life support systems and enhanced protection to withstand the rigors of the lunar environment. Axiom Space is also developing specialized tools and equipment for working on the lunar surface, making it easier for astronauts to collect geological samples.
Now that Axiom Space has completed its technical review of the AxEMU, NASA will evaluate whether the spacesuit is ready for the agency’s Artemis III mission that will return American astronauts to the Moon. A critical design synchronization review conducted by NASA, which is a technical assessment required by the agency, will confirm that the design’s hardware and systems are on track for final testing and delivery. At the same time, Axiom Space has begun receiving parts for the first flight unit, which will be assembled later this spring.
Lara Kearney
Manager, Extravehicular Activities and Human Surface Mobility Program
“The completion of their internal review brings Axiom Space closer to delivering a next-generation lunar spacesuit,” said Lara Kearney, surface extravehicular activities and human mobility program manager at Johnson Space Center in Houston. “This achievement reflects our shared commitment to providing a safe and capable lunar spacesuit that will allow astronauts to explore the surface of the Moon.”
NASA and Axiom Space conducted more than 850 hours of pressure testing with a person inside the AxEMU. Prior to the review, teams conducted underwater and simulated Moon gravity testing of the AxEMU at NASA Johnson Facilities, demonstrating how the spacesuit’s capabilities will provide increased mobility as astronauts explore the Moon’s surface and prepare for missions to Mars. These tests allow astronauts and engineers to familiarize themselves with the spacesuit and practice moving and performing tasks in a simulated lunar gravity environment, which is one-sixth the gravity we experience on Earth. Suit users provided feedback on design, functionality, and security.
The Agency and Axiom Space teams recently completed the first round of testing at the NASA Johnson Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. In the 40-foot-deep pool, they weighted the AxEMU to match lunar gravity and evaluated functionality and ease of movement.
Currently, teams are evaluating how well test subjects can perform tasks while wearing the spacesuit at different pressure levels in NASA Johnson’s Active Response Gravity Offload System suit. The agency uses an aerial lift system that connects to a spacesuit to create a reduced-gravity environment allowing anyone wearing the suit to walk around in simulated lunar gravity. Higher suit pressures reduce suit acclimation time, allowing astronauts to spend more time walking on the lunar surface during Artemis missions.
Astronaut safety is NASA’s top priority for the Artemis campaign. Drawing on more than 50 years of spacesuit expertise, NASA has defined the technical and safety standards and requirements by which the next generation of lunar spacesuits will be built. At key stages of spacesuit development, NASA has and will continue to verify the AxEMU and its system deliverables to ensure that the risk to Artemis crew members is understood and minimized.
NASA’s spacesuit contract is managed by the Surface Extravehicular Activities and Human Mobility Program, which serves as the agency’s program to develop next-generation spacesuits, human-evaluated rovers and spacewalk tools, as well as all necessary spacewalk support systems that will enable astronauts to survive and work outside the confines of a spacecraft to explore on and around the Moon.
As part of a golden age of innovation and exploration, NASA’s Artemis astronauts will use these new spacesuits, along with advanced landers and rovers, to further explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefit, and to prepare for future human exploration of Mars.
Learn more about NASA’s Artemis campaign at:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis
