The dress is comfortable, the temperature is good and the day is perfect for a nice walk on the moon. NASA has just unveiled the new space suit that will allow all of this: it's called AxEMU and was designed by the company Axiom Space (which we met other times already on this site: there are many projects at stake). How it is made?
This new space suit is already a legend for many reasons. It marks the return of man to the moon and marks the first time on the moon for a woman: all in one mission, Artemis III, destined to remain in the history of space exploration. And since you can't make history if you're too uncomfortable, AxEMU has been designed to offer greater mobility, flexibility and protection from the lunar environment, as well as providing specialized tools to facilitate exploration of the surface.
Moon Fashion Week
To be extremely concise on the characteristics: the AxEMU space suit has several more joints than those we are used to seeing. This, of course, makes it much easier for astronauts to perform actions such as walking and picking up objects from the ground. The helmet features a light band for better vision and an HD camera to broadcast live video of the Earth. Finally, the boots are well insulated to allow astronauts to work even in the low temperatures of the lunar south pole.
On an aesthetic level, I find the presentation images very pleasant, but don't be fooled. While the prototype has a dark gray finish, the final version will likely be all-white, to keep astronauts safe and cool as they work in space. Too bad, the "Star Trek" effect was all there. Anyway, for those who want to rewatch the whole presentation, here's the video from USA Today.
Space suit, paradigm of the future
The creation of the AxEMU space suit is the result, as mentioned, of the partnership between NASA and Axiom Space. Another signal that shows how innovation can be accelerated thanks to the synergy between the public and private sectors. The design, part of a real development "platform", takes into account the possibility of adapting this suit to the most diverse conditions: on this basis, after Artemis III (expected in 2025) mission suits will also be made on other planets of the solar system.
In other words, it's not a suit: it's a paradigm for humanity's next space "adventures". Worth the red carpet, come on.
