NASA and Axion’s New Polished Space Suits: Designed For The Moon
The first NASA astronauts to walk on the moon since 1972 will wear the new advanced space suits designed by a private company, Axion. The suits will allow the astronauts of the Artemis 3 Mission to take pictures and videos, survey geology, retrieve samples, and collect other data to meet specific scientific objectives. These suits are tailored to offer more flexibility and mobility and will allow astronauts to explore the lunar (south pole of the moon) terrain on foot. Additionally, these suits were built in a variety of sizes, said to accommodate 90% of the men and women in the United States, according to NASA. The first woman and person of color on the moon will wear the new and improved space suits.
The name of the suits is Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Units or AxEMUs. The prototype was unveiled at NASA's Space Center in Houston. The display was a dark gray suit with orange, light blue, and navy blue accents with the company's name and logo. Axion used the cover layer to protect the company’s innovations from competitors. However, the real suits that astronauts will begin to train in during the summer will be white because white clothing reflects heat and can prevent astronauts from extreme temperatures.
Russell Ralston, deputy program manager of extravehicular activity at Axiom Space, guided the audience through the various elements of the suit design. Improvements on the previous space suits include the newly bubble-shaped helmet with an HD video camera and a light band mounted to the visor of the helmet. The light band will afford astronauts better visibility as astronauts perform spacewalks in the permanently shadowed regions of the lunar south pole. Another addition was the backpack containing a portable life support system and boots that were reinforced with extra insulation to keep astronaut feet warm in cold icy regions of the moon that are unexposed to sunlight.
Axiom Space engineer Jim Stein modeled the suit and performed squats and lateral lunges to show improved mobility. During his presentation, he mentioned the suit has a hatch with two hinges on the backside for astronauts to enter. To get in the suit, Jim Stein put his feet inside, then the arms shimmied down, and finally closed the hatch.
Previously, NASA had designed new spacesuits roughly four decades ago for the Space Shuttle missions. The suit was called the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or xEMU, and is currently worn by an astronaut at the Space Station. The construction of more suits would have taken until April 2025 and cost the organization $1 billion. NASA did not want to delay the Artemis missions any further, and thus reached out to private industries for help. Last June, the only two companies to submit bids, Axiom and Collins Aerospace, were hired by NASA. Axiom received a 228.5 million contract and Collins Aerospace received a $97.2 million contract.
The ultimate goal of the AxEMUs was to enable a long-term presence on the moon. With the enhancement of mobility and protection, the suit will allow astronauts to gather information and explore the world unlike any other.