The new suits, manufactured by Axiom Space, were presented by NASA at an event on Wednesday. They have been designated for use by astronauts participating in the 2025 Artemis III mission.
A new spacesuit, created by Axiom Space, has been unveiled by NASA for astronauts to wear during lunar exploration under the Artemis program. The suit is aimed at enhancing mobility for astronauts operating on the Moon’s surface and has been developed for use during the Artemis III mission, which will feature the first woman and person of color to step on the Moon. The prototype suit, showcased at an event on March 15th, boasts a dark gray cover fashioned by costume designer Esther Marquis, who has previously worked on the TV show “For All Mankind,” but the actual suit will be white to cater for thermal considerations.
According to a statement from NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, the agency’s collaboration with Axiom Space is crucial to achieving the objective of landing astronauts on the Moon and maintaining American leadership in space. Drawing from NASA’s research and expertise, Axiom’s next-generation spacesuits are expected to not only enable the first female lunar walker but also expand opportunities for a more diverse set of individuals to explore and conduct scientific investigations on the Moon.
For the past 40 years, NASA astronauts have utilized the same fundamental spacesuit design since the Space Shuttle era, with the technology essentially remaining unchanged. Although the previous suit design has demonstrated its effectiveness during this time, it is particularly limiting in terms of the range of motion it provides.
In order for astronauts to perform tasks such as walking, bending, and crouching with ease – particularly when operating in the low-gravity environment of the Moon, which differs from the microgravity of the International Space Station – a new spacesuit was deemed necessary.
The new prototype, named the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), was developed by Axiom Space based on NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) prototype, which incorporated enhancements to address concerns such as thermal management in the frigid conditions present at the Moon’s south pole, as well as safety and mobility requirements.
At the unveiling event, Jim Stein, the chief engineer at Axiom Space, donned the AxEMU spacesuit and demonstrated his ability to perform various movements, such as twisting, bending, squatting, and crouching. The suit’s new design includes additional joints, especially in the lower section, allowing for movements that were not feasible with the older suit design. This will make it easier for astronauts to perform tasks like walking and picking up items from the lunar surface. The new helmet features a light band above the bubble, improving visibility, and a high-definition video camera on the side, allowing for astronaut point-of-view video to be live-streamed back to Earth. The boots have been thoroughly insulated to facilitate astronaut work in the cold conditions of the Moon’s permanently shadowed regions. Another significant difference from the previous suit design is that astronauts enter the AxEMU from the back instead of from the bottom, as was previously the case.
In a break from the norm, NASA will not retain ownership of the spacesuits, but rather have a service agreement with Axiom Space for the supply of the equipment. During the unveiling event, Lara Kearney, who manages NASA’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility program, likened the agreement to renting a car, as opposed to owning it.
Kearney explained that “NASA will still be responsible for mission control and decision-making during missions, but Axiom will be present to ensure the safety of the suit as our astronauts walk on the Moon’s surface.”
