Axiom Space and fashion house Prada have presented the design of the AxEMU spacesuit that will be used for the Artemis III mission. As part of the mission, two NASA astronauts will land on the South Pole of the Moon.
In June 2022, NASA announced a contract with Axiom Space to build a new lunar spacesuit, designated AxEMU (Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit). It will be used by the astronauts of the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon.
Recently, Axiom has presented the design of its lunar spacesuit to the public for the first time. The presentation took place at the International Congress of Aeronautics in Italy. The spacesuit was created in collaboration with the fashion house Prada.
The AxEMU spacesuit can be used by both men and women. It provides increased flexibility, performance and safety, as well as specialized tools for exploring the Moon’s South Pole. AxEMU is designed to withstand extreme temperature changes and is also protected from lunar dust. Astronauts will be able to walk on the surface wearing it for at least eight hours.
The new spacesuit includes many duplicate systems and has an on-board diagnostic system to ensure the safety of crew members. It is also equipped with lights and a helmet-mounted HD camera, 4G/LTE connectivity, suit management interface, biometric monitoring, regenerated carbon dioxide scrubbing and a portable life support system.
According to Axiom, the AxEMU spacesuit is in the final stages of development. It has already undergone a successful pressure test, the first of its kind since the Apollo program. In the near future, Axiom specialists will continue to finalize the spacesuit. This work will include underwater testing and integrated tests with the lunar rover prototype. The spacesuit is expected to reach the critical design analysis phase in 2025.
Recall that China also recently showed the public a new spacesuit designed for its lunar program.
According to Axiom
