Four Artemis astronauts go to the moon wearing new spacesuits: Weekly Donga

On March 15, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) unveiled the Artemis spacesuit ‘AxEMU’. [NASA 제공]

On March 15 (local time), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) unveiled a new Artemis spacesuit made with private aerospace company ‘Axiom Space’ (Axiom). The name of this space suit is ‘AxEMU (Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit)’. On April 3, NASA announced four astronauts who will perform the manned exploration mission of the lunar exploration program ‘Artemis’. They will wear the new spacesuit AxEMU, which has been replaced for the first time in 40 years, and will carry out Artemis’ third-stage lunar landing mission scheduled for 2025.

Four astronauts to carry out the manned exploration mission of the Artemis program. [NASA 제공]

Moonwalking system provided

NASA said, “Through partnership with Axiom, we have developed a state-of-the-art spacesuit that will provide the moonwalking system needed for the Artemis program.” It will enable more scientific exploration than ever before.” At the demonstration of the new space suit, the Axiom engineer showed more flexible movements, such as walking while wearing the space suit and doing squats and lunges. AxEMU is made in a variety of sizes to be worn by black and female astronauts selected as Artemis astronauts.

At the demonstration event, Russell Ralston, deputy director of Axiom’s EVA (Extravehicular Activity) program, said, “This spacesuit is made in sizes such as large, medium, and small to suit various body types.” You can adjust it to fit your body type.”

The glove of Artemis space suit (left). Artemis spacesuit ‘AxEMU’ covered in black cloth for technical security. [액시엄 스페이스 제공]

A space suit is a collection of cutting-edge technologies that protects the astronaut’s body and helps various explorations in extreme space enough to be called a small spacecraft. The reason why NASA, which has developed its own space suits, collaborated with Axiom is to provide a moonwalking system including a space suit. The design of the Artemis space suit unveiled this time is distinctly different from the space suit used for past Apollo missions or for spacewalks on the International Space Station (ISS). This is because Axiom’s own design comprehensively reflects the concept of space suits, which NASA has been researching, called ‘external probe’.

Developed in collaboration with private companies

NASA initially invested more than 260 billion won over 14 years to make its own spacesuit, but gave up and decided to select an outsourcing company. Axiom, which was selected as such, is a private aerospace company that is active in the space industry by carrying out private astronaut missions at the ISS and promoting the construction of its own commercial space station. Michael Suffredini, CEO of Axiom, has worked for NASA for more than 30 years, having served as ISS program manager. Last year, NASA said in a press release that it had paid Axiom 270 billion won and signed its first contract to develop a space suit. The entire development project is estimated to reach 3.5 billion dollars (approximately 4.6 trillion won).

A spacesuit from Project Mercury in the late 1950s (left). An Apollo 17 astronaut wearing a dust-covered spacesuit collects topsoil samples from the Moon. [NASA 제공]

In the early days of space exploration, spacesuits were simpler. The space suits of the first manned space project in the United States, Project Mercury, which ran from 1958 to 1963, were designed to be used only inside the spacecraft. From 1964 to 1966, a space suit suitable for spacewalking outside the spacecraft was designed during the ‘Gemini Project’, a US manned space project. This space suit had a structure in which a hose supplying oxygen was connected to the spacecraft like a deep-sea diver. Since then, as space missions have become more complex, the suits have been modified and redesigned to better cope with the new environment.

The space suit to be used in the Artemis program is no different from a small spacecraft in the shape of a human body that protects astronauts from external dangers. During space walks, astronauts face radiation, dust, debris and extreme temperatures. The spacesuit should apply appropriate pressure to the astronaut’s body and supply the astronaut with water to drink and oxygen to breathe. The moon alone shows extreme temperature changes, with temperatures soaring to over 100 degrees Celsius during the day and cooling to below -170 degrees Celsius at night. The spacesuit released this time is a prototype, and includes the developer’s logo, orange, and blue, and is covered with a black cover to hide the proprietary technology. The space suits worn by real astronauts are expected to be made in white to reflect heat and protect the body from extreme high temperatures.

Two particularly important parts of a space suit are the compression suit and life support system. A compression suit is an element that protects the body and enables movement, and consists of a cooling suit that regulates body temperature, an upper body, a lower body, and a helmet. In addition to this, the new space suit is designed to provide increased flexibility, greater protection to withstand harsh environments and special tools for scientific exploration. An HD video camera and light band are attached to the transparent helmet, giving astronauts better visibility when exploring the moon’s permanent shadow zone. The back of the suit has two hinged openings. It is a system that astronauts wear while entering the space suit through an opening. It also has an attached backpack that provides a portable life support system. The gloves and boots were reinforced with additional insulation to keep the astronauts’ hands and feet warm when working in the moon’s permanent shadows, where they never see sunlight.

lunar south pole exploration possible

The shoes or gloves of the space suit are important for the technology to process moon dust. The lunar surface is covered with fine dust called ‘Regolith’. This dust is so coarse and sharp that it often wears down suits and equipment and damages them. Inhalation of the dust has been known to cause bleeding or severe bodily harm. Apollo 17, the last landing on the moon, suffered problems such as worn-out spacesuits, damaged mechanisms, and obstructed view of helmets. Accordingly, the new spacesuit focused on dustproof function. Technology was applied to prevent dust from adhering to the space suit and to treat dust when astronauts enter the lander.

“We designed a state-of-the-art spacesuit that helps astronauts operate safely and efficiently on the moon,” said Serfredini CEO. ”he explained.​

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Weekly Donga No. 1384 (p16~18)