The latest spacesuit collaboration project between NASA and Collins Aerospace has passed the microgravity test with flying colors, ready for the next steps towards developing more of the future cosmic gears. NASA's development of the spacesuits saw significant challenges over the past years, but it decided to go for a private company and designate them to develop these suits for them.
Spacesuits are an integral part of cosmic explorations, something that could make or break a mission, with astronaut lives at stake.
NASA, Collins Aerospace's Spacesuit Pass Microgravity Test
Collins Aerospace
NASA announced the latest milestone it achieved with Collins Aerospace, its partner in developing a new spacesuit to be used for future intergalactic missions and more. According to the agency, the "pressure garment system fit and functionality test in a microgravity-like environment" passed with flying colors, with this development looking toward the next step.
According to the agency, it was done in a parabolic flight that mirrors a microgravity environment, with the pilot creating weightless conditions for 20 seconds at a time and going through a series of rollercoaster-like maneuvers.
This will replace the extravehicular mobility unit which has long used in the International Space Station for over two decades already.
Next Step for NASA, Collins Aerospace's Development
Collins Aerospace was only selected by NASA in December 2022, and this only gave them more than a year to develop this successful spacesuit that is ready for future steps. The next one is undergoing vacuum chamber tests, alongside a plunge to a 40-feet deep pool at the Johnson Space Center for spacewalk training, and the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.
NASA's Spacesuits and its Improvements
The renowned American space agency has already spent millions in developing a spacesuit for the last 15 years, but it got them nowhere as problems occurred during its development. The goal is to improve the spacesuits for future missions, and while NASA cannot do it alone, it awarded contracts to private companies to come and help them, with one centering on Axiom Space.
In 2022, NASA decided to go for an outside hire to improve the spacesuits to be used for future missions, with the agency partnering with Axiom and Collins Aerospace for the development. Particularly, these spacesuits are meant for the Artemis Moon mission, best known for humans' next return to the lunar surface after decades since the last Apollo.
Collins Aerospace was renowned for the design it brought for the said spacesuits, centering on a sleeker, more mobile experience that would allow astronauts to conduct better spacewalks. Artemis is one of the priorities for NASA and Collins Aerospace's development, but this upgrade could also be applied for other missions, one that would not only help protect the astronaut but also make them more mobile.
