NASA and Axiom Space unveil Artemis III lunar spacesuits

NASA in collaboration with Axiom Space is ready to unveil the prototype spacesuit for lunar walkswhich the astronauts will wear during the mission Artemis III, the agency’s first since the Apollo program, which will return humans to the surface of the Moon. The event will be broadcast live from the Space Center in Houston, Texas starting at 3:30pm today in our time zone.

NASA has chosen Axiom Space as a partner to build a system that allows the first lunar walks to be completed, which will be carried out near the lunar South Pole. The landing areas have long been decided and if all goes to plan, the mission Artemis III will come to life in 2025 and will also see the presence of a woman for the first time, the first to set foot on the Moon.

During the event to present the new suits, experts from NASA and Axiom Space will be there to answer questions from journalists. Attendees will include Bob Cabana, NASA Associate Administrator, Vanessa Wyche, NASA Johnson Space Center Director, Lara Kearney, NASA Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program Manager, Kate Rubins, NASA Astronaut, Michael Suffredini , president and CEO of Axiom Space, Mark Greeley and Russell Ralston, heads of the Extravehicular Activity program of Axiom Space, Peggy Whitson, commander of Axiom-2 and finally John Shoffner, pilot of Axiom-2.

Recall that before the Artemis III mission, Artemis II will come to life next year, which will in fact be similar to last year’s first mission, but will see astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft for the first time. The mission will last a little less, about 10 days according to initial indications, and will be used to test the spacecraft’s life support systems. In this regard, NASA has announced that in April the names of the four astronauts who will participate will be revealed and that they will be composed of 3 members of NASA and one of the Canadian CSA.

We recall in closing that with the Artemis program, NASA intends to return humans to the Moon and establish a long-term presence, all in preparation for the next big step: sending astronauts to Mars.

Anyone wishing to follow the event this afternoon should remember that after a brief session of about half an hour with the media, at 15:30 the official presentation session will start on NASA Live TVwhere the space suit will finally be revealed.

But let’s close with a little cinematic curiosity: did you know that Apple TV+ will make a film entitled Project Artemis with Scarlett Johansson, and that the filming is currently underway at Kennedy Space Center of NASA?

4.45 pm

Axiom Space and NASA have finally unveiled the new spacesuit prototypes that will be used for the first time on the Artemis III mission in 2025. The new suit was created by Axiom Space in collaboration with costume designer Esther Marquis, known for having created the costumes for the Apple TV+ series, For All Mankindwho made the custom outer layer for the new space suits.

The new AxEMU will provide NASA astronauts with the ability to live and work on the Moon. Contrary to what the images suggest, the new suits will have a white outer layer to reflect heat, protecting the wearer from extremely high temperatures when exposed to sunlight. For today’s presentation, but also to hide the suit’s proprietary elements, the prototype was adorned with Axiom’s logo and featured the company’s trademark colors of blue, black and orange. These are the words of Mike Suffredini, president and CEO of Axiom Space.

“We continue NASA’s legacy by designing an advanced space suit that will allow astronauts to operate safely and effectively on the Moon. Axiom Space’s Artemis III space suit will be ready to meet the complex challenges of the lunar south pole and will help us better understand the Moon to allow for a long-term presence.”

In 2022, NASA awarded Axiom a $228.5 million work order under a $1.26 billion contract to build the agency’s next-generation spacesuits to support the Artemis lunar missions . The project originated from an original NASA project called xEMU, which aimed to make a next-generation suit, initially developed by engineers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

After the improvements introduced by Axiom Space, the new suit offers greater flexibility, greater protection against the hostile environment and specific tools to meet exploration needs and expand scientific opportunities. Anyone wishing to review the presentation event can do so from the link below.