NASA has partnered with Collins Aerospace, ILC Dover, and Oceaneering to develop a new and improved spacesuit for spacewalking.
The new spacesuit, also known as an astronaut's personal spaceship, will enable NASA's astronauts to easily conduct critical spacewalks in low Earth orbit.
New Spacesuit with Advanced Tech
The newly developed spacesuit is intended to accommodate astronauts of various sizes and offer greater mobility compared to the current design.
Furthermore, it incorporates advanced technology that is both more efficient and long-lasting and necessitates less maintenance than the existing model.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has praised the partnership with Collins Aerospace, stating that it represents the future of space exploration and the strength of American innovation.
For over 40 years, NASA astronauts have been using the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit design that debuted during the Space Shuttle Program in the 1980s.
Despite exceeding its intended design lifespan, the EMU spacesuit alone is not sufficient for NASA to accomplish its exploration objectives, and hence there is a need for more advanced spacewalking capabilities.
A new spacesuit will enable NASA to tackle the EMU's obsolescence issues and leverage modern technologies like enhanced mobility and advanced life support systems.
The new spacesuit features advanced life support components, including a liquid cooling and ventilation garment for regulating body temperature during spacewalks.
It accommodates a wide range of sizes and offers a high-mobility upper torso, with adjustable features to minimize maintenance procedures and astronaut training hours.
xEVAS Contract
Under the Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) contract, Collins Aerospace has been chosen to compete for task orders to support NASA's spacewalking requirements until 2034.
Additionally, Axiom Space has been selected by NASA to develop new spacesuits for the Artemis III mission, marking the first time humans will land on the Moon in over 50 years. The two vendors will also contend for future task orders related to spacewalking and moonwalking services.
NASA's partnership with industry is aimed at building a robust commercial space industry where the agency is one of many customers. The new spacesuit brings NASA a step closer to replacing its current spacesuit design, which has been in use for decades during space shuttle and space station missions.
The advanced suit will enable continued maintenance and operations of the International Space Station by NASA and its international partners.
Through such operations, the agency aims to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic missions, paving the way for a long-term presence at future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit and on the Moon.
The Artemis missions, which aim to establish a long-term presence on the Moon for science and exploration, will also benefit from this new spacesuit technology.
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