NASA unveils prototype spacesuit for future Artemis III moon missions: See Pics
NASA on March 15 unveiled the first prototype for a newly designed next-generation spacesuit specially tailored and accessorized for the next Moon mission. The latest in moon-wear was displayed at the Johnson Space Center in Houston during an event hosted for the media and students by Axiom Space, the Texas-based company contracted by NASA to build suits for Artemis, successor to the Apollo moon program.
NASA and the private aerospace company Axiom Space unveiled a prototype on March 15 of the next-generation spacesuit that astronauts will wear on the next walk on the Moon. (Source: NASA via AFP)
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The suit revealed at an event at the Johnson Space Center in Houston features greater flexibility and thermal protection than those worn by the Apollo astronauts who first stepped foot on the lunar surface more than 50 years ago. (Source: NASA via AFP)
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The pressurised garment has multiple protective layers, a backpack with life support systems, and lights and a high-definition video camera mounted on top of the bubble-shaped helmet. (Source: NASA via AFP)
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The US space agency's Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon in late 2025 for the first time since the historic Apollo missions ended in 1972, an initial step towards an eventual voyage to Mars. (Source: NASA via AFP)
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Axiom Space was awarded a $228.5 million contract to design the suit -- the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit in space jargon -- for the mission known as Artemis III. (Source: NASA via AFP)
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Axiom Space chief engineer Jim Stein appeared on stage at the NASA facility wearing the suit, waving his arms, performing squats and dropping to one knee to display the range of motion it provides. (Source: NASA via AFP)
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The spacesuit modeled by Stein featured a cover layer in all black with blue and orange trim which Axiom Space said was required to "conceal the suit's proprietary design." The final version will be in the traditional white used to reflect heat from the Sun and protect astronauts from the temperatures of the harsh lunar environment. (Source: NASA via AFP)
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The suit features a backpack Axios Space described as a "portable life support system." (Source: NASA via AFP)
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The suit is designed to be worn for up to eight hours at a time. It features multiple layers -- an inner layer called a bladder layer that holds air inside the spacesuit like a balloon and a restraint layer that maintains its shape. (Source: NASA via AFP)
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An insulation layer made of different fabrics protects the astronauts against the huge temperature fluctuations on the Moon while the outer layer is designed to be resistant to dust and potential tears from sharp rocks. (Source: NASA via AFP)
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Artemis III is scheduled to take place in late 2025, about 12 months after Artemis II, which is to see four astronauts -- three Americans and one Canadian -- fly in a spacecraft called Orion around the Moon without landing on it. (Source: NASA via AFP)
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NASA is to reveal the names of the four astronauts for the Artemis II mission on April 3. The Artemis III astronauts will land for the first time on the south pole of the Moon. (Source: NASA via AFP)
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NASA is planning to send a woman and a person of color to the Moon for the first time as part of the Artemis program. Only 12 people -- all of them white men -- have set foot on the Moon. NASA hopes to establish a lasting human presence on the lunar surface and later launch a years-long trip to Mars. (Source: NASA via AFP) (With inputs from agencies)
