The first astronauts to walk on the moon in more than 50 years will wear spacesuits made with the latest 21st century technology that look less bulky than the marshmallow suits of yesteryear.
But there is one relic that has remained constant.
NASA on Wednesday unveiled a new prototype of clothing that astronauts will wear during the Artemis III mission. This is the first time women and people of color will set foot on the moon. This time it is near the South Pole of the Moon. Scientists believe water ice can be found inside dark, cold craters. The launch is scheduled for 2025.
“There haven’t been any new suits since we designed them for the Space Shuttle,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. has used the same suit based on that technology.”
NASA is back in business on the moon. This is what it means.
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Exactly what the moon suit looks like is still, quite literally, a mystery.The Moon 2 sample suit at Space Center Houston, modeled during a press event at the Mars Festival, features a sleek black outer layer. was covered.(opens in new tab)A suit worn on the moon must be white to reflect heat, but a representative for Axiom Space said it would need a cover to protect its unique design.
The Axiom-logoed look, unveiled Wednesday, was created with Esther Marquis, the costume designer for Apple TV’s “For All Mankind” sci-fi series.
“There hasn’t been a new suit since the one I designed for the space shuttle.”
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Unlike the Apollo era, NASA will not own these new state-of-the-art spacesuits (the moonships themselves). Axiom Wins Nearly $229 Million Contract(opens in new tab) Last year we basically loaned them to space agencies to develop the equipment. This new approach aims to facilitate the commercial use of this technology to collect more data that may be useful to NASA in the future.
A fully equipped spacesuit for the Moonwalk is essentially a spacecraft shaped like a human.(opens in new tab)It protects the wearer from cosmic radiation, lunar dust, and the moon’s extreme temperatures, from minus 250 degrees in the shade to 250 degrees F in the sun. Suits provide adequate pressure, drinking water, and air. It is also equipped with a power supply and communication system.
The Artemis spacesuit’s new bubble helmet gives astronauts a better view of their environment.
Credit: Axiom Space
“The moon is definitely a hostile place, and Antarctica will be a real challenge,” said Lara Kearney, spacewalk and human surface locomotion manager at NASA. “Lots of thermal requirements.”
Engineers have made some improvements(opens in new tab), including the integration of dust-proof materials. Until Apollo 11, the biggest concern about lunar soil was its inability to support the weight of landers and astronauts. Experience has taught NASA to be more concerned that the soil consists of small glass-like debris.
The new portable life support system, which can be carried like a backpack, is more compact thanks to modern electronics and plumbing that have been miniaturized. This allowed engineers to build a backup system.(opens in new tab) So failure is less of an issue. Nearly everything in the life support system is new, said Russell Ralston, his manager of Axiom’s Deputy Extravehicular Activities program. Some of the innovations could quickly lead to better medical equipment on the planet, he said.
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Bending and turning at the waist should be easier, and hiking-style boots with flexible soles are expected to be less of a trip hazard. It should be able to be used in combination according to the limbs and torso of the body. The model squatted, twisted, and kneeled like an astronaut picking up rocks on the moon or using a geological tool to demonstrate a less rigid design.
Another change is the way astronauts enter them. The suit has a hatch that swings open like a door, allowing crew members to descend into their boots from their backs. This is an upgrade from the spacesuit currently used on the International Space Station, and he should be able to do it alone without the help of other astronauts.
There’s something about the suit for all the people watching on the planet, too. There’s an HD video camera on the side of the suit, which enhances the quality of your moonwalk home viewing.
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But beneath all of that new tech innovation is what is essentially an adult-sized Pampers. There is a possibility.
“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” Rallston told Mashable during a press conference. “We still use diapers in our spacesuits. Honestly, diapers are a very effective solution. Sometimes simplicity is best.”
“Sometimes simple is best.”
The mission’s crew has not yet been determined, but NASA plans to announce the astronauts on board the previous mission on April 3. These astronauts fly the Orion spacecraft around the Moon in Artemis II, but do not land.
Axiom plans to offer a full set(opens in new tab) I will be giving spacesuit training to NASA later this summer.