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These suits are made for moonwalking! NASA unveils new Artemis III gear to be worn by the first woman to land on the lunar surface in 2025
NASA unveiled its new space suit that will be worn by Artemis III astronauts to the moon — and it was designed specifically to fit the first woman to walk on the lunar surface.
The agency worked with aerospace company Axiom to design the new gear with improved mobility, compared to the bulky Apollo suits that caused astronauts to fall while walking on the lunar surface.
The innovative suit, made of Mylar and Kevlar, has a new ‘helmet bell’, boots specially made for moonwalking and a portable life support system that is ‘like a nice scuba tank and air conditioner combined’.
At the event, a navy blue design ran across the stage to hide proprietary components, but Axiom said the outer layer will be white when astronauts first don it in 2025.
NASA has unveiled its new space suit that will be worn to the moon by Artemis III astronauts. A prototype took the stage at Wednesday’s event, but the final product will be ready this summer
Mike Suffredini, president and CEO, said in a statement: “We are continuing NASA’s legacy by designing an advanced space suit that will enable astronauts to operate safely and effectively on the moon.
“Axiom Space’s Artemis III spacesuit will be ready to take on the complex challenges of the moon’s south pole and help advance our understanding of the moon to enable a long-term presence there.”
The new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit unveiled at the Moon 2 Mars Festival at Space Center Houston is a prototype, with an entire fleet of training spacesuits due to be delivered to NASA by the end of this summer.
“The space suit will provide astronauts with advanced space exploration capabilities while providing NASA with commercially developed human systems necessary to access, live and work on and around the moon,” Axiom shared in the announcement.
“The advanced space suit ensures that astronauts are equipped with high-quality, rugged equipment and is designed to accommodate a wide variety of crew members.”
Before Wednesday’s unveiling, the prototype was emblazoned with Axiom’s logo and sported the company’s branded colors of blue, black and orange.
A hatch at the back allows astronauts to climb into the suit, and the helmet is a large piece that covers the upper body.
According to Axiom and NASA, the next step is to test the new suit in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The agency worked with aerospace company Axiom to design the new gear with improved mobility, compared to the bulky Apollo suits that caused astronauts to fall while walking on the lunar surface
A hatch at the back allows astronauts to climb into the suit, and the helmet is a large piece that covers the upper body
According to Axiom and NASA, the next step is to test the new suit in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
There a 12 meter deep pool has been transformed into a lunar landscape.
Lara Kearney, who oversees the program at NASA and ensures that Axiom meets requirements, said, “It will give us a good indication of how mobile the suit is and what kind of fatigue the crew members will feel. after six or seven hours of work.’
Axiom also used modern technology to build the suit, using laser cutters to cut fabric and 3D printers to build certain components.
And while the suit is the most fashionable yet, it’s designed to survive.
Russell Ralston, EVA deputy program manager at Axiom Space, said, “I go to church with astronauts. We see them when we go shopping. We know their children.’
“The product you make, their lives depend on it. So, it’s something we take very seriously.’