Nasa reveals futuristic new spacesuit that astronauts will wear to the moon in two years
NASA has revealed its next generation of spacesuits, which are the first new design in four decades.
Astronauts are expected to wear these suits on their mission to the moon's south pole as soon as 2025.
Texas-based Axiom Space was awarded the $1.26billion spacesuit building contract last year.
The company has today showcased a prototype of the spacesuit which Nasa has already elected for use on its Artemis missions.
“We have not had a new suit since the suits that we designed for the Space Shuttle… for 40years we’ve been using the same suit," director of Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre, Vanessa Wyche, said.
Axiom CEO, Michael Suffrendini, added: “We’re not just taking astronauts to the moon and beyond, we’re taking civilisation to the moon and beyond.”
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The spacesuit is based on about 10years worth of research that’s been going on at the Nasa Johnson Space Centre by suit experts, he explained.
Around 50% of suit design is based on Nasa's original design, while the other half is all Axiom.
A spacesuit is a “critical system”, Suffrendini explained, as it is a human's only protection from the harsh elements of space when they're outside of their craft.
With the new suit, Nasa and Axiom need to make sure that every time a human sets foot on the moon - or Mars - that they’ll be able to do what they need to do safely, he said.
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Axiom is set to build the spacesuits for Artemis 3, which is planned to be the first crewed moon landing mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Artemis 3, using SpaceX's Starship, is hoped to touch down on the lunar south pole around December 2025.
The suit has a lot of thermal requirements, as the south pole of the moon is extremely cold.
The moon can experience incredibly high temperatures also.
This is why the spacesuit has to be white, but there is currently a cover layer being used for display purposes "to conceal the suits proprietary design," according to Axiom.
Nasa was also keen to give astronauts more mobility, while also following stringent safety requirements.
Creating a spacesuit for exploration must also take into consideration things like trip hazards on a planets surface.
"Utilising innovative soft and hard joints for an increased range of motion will enable astronauts to walk on the Moon more effortlessly, perform more precise geological and scientific tasks, and translate on space stations easier, all while maximizing comfort," Axiom explained.
The company has not made spacesuits for Nasa before.
However, Axiom and Nasa teamed up on the first commercial crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) last year, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon.
The Texan space company also has plans to plant a commercial capsule onto the ISS, which will include a film studio.
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