On Wednesday, March 15, Axiom Space, a Houston-based company, announced that it had built a new, sleeker, and more flexible spacesuit for astronauts to wear when they step onto the Moon's surface in the next few years, Phys.org reports.
The new suit will be white, similar to those worn by NASA's Apollo program more than 50 years ago, to reflect the heat and maintain future moonwalkers cool on the lunar surface.
Axiom Space and "For All Mankind" costume designer Esther Marquis worked together to design this exclusive cover layer using the Axiom Space logo and brand colors.
Spacesuits Made More Flexible and Protective
Axiom Space says in a news release that the new spacesuits will provide more flexibility and protection from the hostile lunar environment. The suits will be available in a more extensive range of sizes, allowing astronauts to move more freely and giving a better fit.
"Our expert team is ready to provide NASA with the next-generation spacesuit. We carefully considered NASA's years of experience and used that experience to build a spacesuit for the Moon and future Axiom Space customers." Axiom Space Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Program Manager Mark Greeley remarks.
NASA will be able to use new versions of the spacesuits for training later this summer, according to Axiom Space. The final version is anticipated to differ from the prototype shown at the Houston event on Wednesday.
The design of the new spacesuit has been kept secret, but an Axiom worker recently wore a dark spacesuit to an event and did squats and waist twists to show how flexible it was.
NASA's Investment in New Spacesuits
NASA has granted Axiom Space a contract for $228,5 million to provide spacesuits for the first moon landing in nearly half a century. The space agency anticipates landing two men on the moon's south pole by late 2025.
The new spacesuits are essential to NASA's Artemis mission, which intends to return humans to the moon and maintain a permanent presence on its surface. Also, the initiative aims to prepare for the eventual Mars exploration by humans.
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NASA administrator Bill Nelson lauded Axiom Space for its efforts on the new spacesuits, stating that they represent a significant advancement in space technology.
More About the Axiom Spacesuit
The spacesuit is based on NASA's Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) spacesuit design, but it has been greatly enhanced to equip astronauts with advanced capabilities.
The spacesuits are designed to accommodate a diverse variety of crew members while also providing them with high-performance, robust equipment.
The AxEMU spacesuit represents a huge step forward in US space exploration, allowing for a better understanding of the Moon, the solar system, and beyond.
The AxEMU spacesuits are commercially designed human systems that are required for accessing, living, and working on and near the Moon.
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