Next-generation spacesuit for future NASA mission to Moon unveiled
NASA and the private aerospace company Axiom Space unveiled a prototype on Wednesday of the next-generation spacesuit that astronauts will wear on the next mission to the Moon.
The suit revealed at an event at the Johnson Space Center in Houston features greater flexibility and thermal protection than those worn by the Apollo astronauts who first walked on the lunar surface more than 50 years ago.
The garment has multiple protective layers, a backpack with life support systems, and lights and a high-definition video camera mounted on top of the bubble-shaped helmet.
The US space agency's Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon in late 2025 for the first time since the historic Apollo missions ended in 1972, an initial step towards an eventual voyage to Mars.
Axiom Space was awarded a $228.5 million contract to design the suit -- the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit in space jargon -- for the mission known as Artemis III.
Axiom Space chief engineer Jim Stein appeared on stage at the NASA facility wearing the spacesuit, waving his arms and performing squats and knee bends to display the range of motion it provides.
The spacesuit modeled by Stein featured a cover layer in all black with blue and orange trim which Axiom Space said was required to "conceal the suit's proprietary design."
The final version will be in the traditional white used to reflect heat and protect astronauts from the temperatures of the harsh lunar environment.
The suit features a backpack Axios Space described as a "portable life support system."
"Inside of this box are all the parts and the components to keep you alive," said Russell Ralston, deputy program manager for extravehicular activity at Axiom Space.
"You can think of it as like a very fancy
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