The new generation of spacesuits for the astronauts who will return to the Moon in the Artemis 3 mission is a real revolution when compared to the models used in the first visit to our satellite 54 years ago, in Apollo 11
Uniforms of astronauts on the Moon used on Apollo 11 x which will be used on Artemis
Rosalia Vasconcellos, Tilt
The new generation of spacesuits for the astronauts who will return to the Moon in 2025 on NASA’s Artemis 3 mission is a real revolution when compared to the models used on the first visit to our satellite 54 years ago, on Apollo 11.
“It’s not just a design evolution,” said Peggy Whitson, veteran astronaut and AX-2 mission commander for the ISS (International Space Station).
NASA has already invested US$ 228.5 million in the development of the new model, made by Axiom Space. And it is expected to spend up to $3.5 billion on suits to be used on the Moon and the ISS by 2034.
Easy to wear, flexible and allows you to run long distances
Perhaps the most relevant evolution of the suit, presented to the world this Wednesday (15), is the greater mobility and flexibility for astronauts.
In practice, the idea is that the new uniform, dubbed AxEMU, adapts better to different body types. One of the purposes of the Artemis program is to take the first woman to walk on the moon.
Greater malleability will allow astronauts to carry out activities with more ease, which can prevent accidents and even reduce fatigue caused by the weight of the suit.
The engineers involved in the development of the space suit explain that the astronauts will be able to walk long distances with greater comfort, have autonomy of movement and more maneuverability, in addition to communicating through NASA systems.
The suits used on Apollo 11, on the other hand, were bulkier and stiffer. During the Apollo 17 mission, in 1972, they even caused astronauts to fall during walks.
NASA didn’t make the suits
For 15 years, NASA developed its own spacesuits. This time, the work was outsourced to the company Axiom Space, which used half of the original project from the American space agency.
The new suits are designed to be more mobileRussell Ralston, deputy program manager for the EVA (Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit) program at Axiom Space.
There is another important difference: the new uniforms are easier to wear.
illuminated helmet
The new helmet aims to offer greater visibility. It has a band of light around its entire head, which will help astronauts see. In 2025, they will land at the South Pole of the Moon, an area that is not illuminated by the Sun.
Thanks to the flexibility that the suit gives to the astronauts’ arms, the lighting can be activated easily at any time.
Read also: The incredible image of Brasilia seen from space
The rear side of the helmet has video cameras that will record in HD both the Moon and the spacecraft.
Warm gloves and boots
To protect astronauts once morest very low temperatures, the new boots have greater thermal insulation than the shoes used by the crew of the Apollo program.
The gloves are designed to account for the effects of microgravity, enhancing the fingers’ ability to grip and grip objects more firmly.
According to NASA, they are “additional protections once morest the dangers on the Moon”.
Costumes will return to white
Before heading to the Moon, Axiom Space will test the suit in an environment that simulates space. The chosen location is the Johnson Space Center Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas (USA).
Although the prototype presented is black, the final version, made of Mylar and Kevlar materials, will probably be all white like traditional NASA uniforms. This color offers more thermal comfort, as it reflects light and radiation (black, on the other hand, absorbs it).
