NASA’s plan to return humans to the Moon by 2028 could face a hurdle, as a U.S. audit report says Axiom Space’s next-generation spacesuits may not be ready until 2031.
Despite the potential delay, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman remains confident that astronauts will land on the Moon in these suits by 2028. Italian fashion company ‘Prada’ is also involved in the project to create NASA’s new spacesuit. It has worked on the suit’s fabric and design. 7 Special Features of NASA’s New xEMU – Liquid Cooling System – Inside the suit, there will be a special undergarment with a ‘liquid cooling’ system, which will regulate body temperature.
– Smart Shoes – Special ‘smart’ shoes will provide good grip on the lunar surface. There will be no need to bounce and walk like in previous missions.
– Waste Management System – There will be an 8-hour toilet backup. Meaning, they will be able to work without taking off the suit. It will also keep them safe in cold temperatures down to minus 2000. – Fabric – Lunar dust is sharp and sticky like glass shards. The suit’s outer fabric will allow less fine lunar dust to stick. – Rear Entry System – The new suit will have a ‘rear entry’ system. This means astronauts will enter the suit from the back. It will be easier to put on and take off. – Special Suit – During the Apollo missions, suits were made only for men. The new suit can be worn by both male and female astronauts. – Smart Helmet – The helmet will have an HD camera, lights, and a 4G/LTE communication system, which will improve communication and recording. Why is there a delay in suit development for the Artemis-3 mission? A new spacesuit needs to be developed that can work on the Moon’s surface and in the weightless conditions of space. In 2022, NASA awarded this project to ‘Axiom Space’ and ‘Collins Aerospace’, but later Collins withdrew. Now the entire project’s burden is on the ‘Axiom Space’ company, due to which testing and development are getting delayed. What is the Artemis-3 Mission It is planned to be the first crewed mission to return astronauts to the Moon’s South Pole since Apollo. The mission aims to land astronauts near the Moon’s south pole, where they will conduct scientific experiments and test new technologies.
Artemis III is also expected to include the first woman and the first person of color to walk on the Moon.
