From: cleoabram
The next generation of spacesuits, developed by Axiom Space for NASA’s Artemis III mission, prioritizes significant improvements in astronaut mobility and flexibility, essential for extended lunar exploration and future interplanetary missions [00:00:41]. These advancements are critical as humans prepare to return to the Moon after 50 years, aiming to live there long-term and eventually send people to other planets [00:00:11].
The Need for Enhanced Mobility
Past lunar missions saw astronauts spending up to 3.25 days on the Moon [00:02:20]. The upcoming Artemis III mission plans for astronauts to spend 6.5 days on the lunar surface, twice as long as anyone has before [00:02:13]. This requires astronauts to stay outside longer and perform more complex tasks in challenging environments, including regions near the lunar south pole that never receive sunlight and experience extreme cold [00:02:42].
To achieve these goals, new suits are needed that offer “more flexibility and even more range of motion to do their job” [00:02:47]. The ultimate aim is to enable astronauts to “do more for longer” [00:00:46], collect samples, perform research, and traverse the lunar surface more easily [00:17:49].
Design and Functionality Enhancing Mobility
The new Axiom Space suit is described as a “one-person human-shaped spacecraft” rather than just clothing [00:05:43]. Its design and functionality incorporates several features to improve mobility:
- Restraint Layer and Movement: The suit consists of three major sections, including an inner bladder layer that holds pressure and a restraint layer on top [00:12:00]. This restraint layer is crucial as it “stops the whole thing from inflating like a balloon” and “defines how the suit can move” [00:13:30]. Astronauts must learn specific movement paths due to how the suit’s joints and mobility elements function [00:13:03]. Despite initial stiffness, the prototype allows for specific, controlled movements [00:13:13].
- Suit Pressurization: While spacesuits are pressurized to 4.3 PSI [00:13:47], which can make movement harder [00:13:31], the suit’s design allows for functionality even under pressure. The wearer noted feeling “stiffer” hands as pressure increased but could still perform tasks [00:14:22].
- Modular Design for Fit: Unlike previous Apollo suits that were custom-designed for each astronaut, which was expensive and limiting [00:17:14], the new suits are designed to fit a wide range of body types [00:17:05]. They use small, medium, and large base options with interchangeable and tailor-made pieces [00:17:25]. This modularity means the suit can cover 90% of men and women in the United States [00:17:09], opening the door to space for “so many more people” [00:17:39].
Challenges and Testing for Mobility
The development of these suits involves rigorous testing to ensure functionality:
- Training Suits: Axiom Space utilizes “1G analog suits,” or training suits, to help astronauts practice movements they can and cannot do with tools [00:12:43].
- Simulated Lunar Tasks: During a prototype test, the suit demonstrated improved flexibility, allowing the wearer to:
- Collect a sample: Though challenging due to the prototype gloves, the wearer successfully simulated breaking off and collecting lunar rock samples using a chisel and hammer [00:18:47].
- Walk at speed: The suit allowed for movement on a horse-sized treadmill at speeds up to 2.5 miles per hour, faster than any previous guest [00:21:07]. The movement was described as “waddling like a duck but like in a much more graceful way” [00:20:56].
- Perform a squat: While very heavy in Earth’s gravity, the suit’s design allowed for a full squat [00:21:49].
- Kneel and stand up: A key improvement, astronauts can now kneel and get back up, a position previously “not able to do in the current EVA suits” [00:22:30].
The new spacesuits represent a significant leap in design and functionality, providing astronauts with the necessary mobility and flexibility to undertake longer, more complex missions on the Moon and beyond [00:00:46].