NASA, Axiom Space gear up for Artemis III moon mission, unveil new spacesuit. Details here

NASA and Axiom Space unveiled the spacesuit that astronauts will wear during the Artemis III mission, marking the program's first lunar landing to return humans to the moon. Compared to the inflexible Apollo suits that caused falls on the moon, the new suits designed by Axiom Space are more mobile, according to Russell Ralston, EVA deputy program manager. Ralston stated that the redesigned spacesuit covers everything from top to bottom, including a new helmet with improved visibility and boots specially designed for moonwalking with thermal insulation suited for the moon's south pole.

To prepare for the 2025 lunar landing, Axiom Space and NASA will conduct further testing and evaluations of the spacesuit at the Johnson Space Center's Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston. The lab has transformed part of its 40-foot-deep pool into a simulated lunar landscape to fine-tune the suit's mobility and evaluate any potential fatigue experienced by astronauts during extended periods of use. Lara Kearney, who oversees the program at NASA, ensures that Axiom meets all the necessary requirements.

According to Russell Ralston, the final version of the suit is almost complete, with the only significant difference being the color of the outer layer, which will be white and made of Mylar and Kevlar. This material is suitable for the mission's destination, a part of the moon where craters have some of the coldest temperatures in the solar system. Ralston explained that exploring a permanently shaded region on the moon has never been done before.


After spending 15 years developing its own next-generation moon suit, NASA outsourced the project to Axiom Space. The company utilized over 50% of NASA's original design to create the new spacesuit.

According to Peggy Whitson, the director of human spaceflight at Axiom and a former NASA astronaut, who holds the record for spending the most time in space among American astronauts, the new spacesuit is the first to be tailored specifically to fit a woman.

The spacesuit is a 21st-century marvel that leverages advanced technology, such as laser cutters and 3D printers to precisely cut various fabrics and create components, resulting in significant cost and time savings. However, some components are still assembled using traditional sewing machines.

According to Russell Ralston, the EVA deputy program manager at Axiom Space, creating a spacesuit is a matter of life and death for the astronauts who wear them. Astronauts are not just colleagues, but also friends and acquaintances of the Axiom team. As a result, they take their responsibilities extremely seriously.

FAQs

Who is the CEO of Axiom Space?
Michael Suffredini

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Washington