Axiom Space is NASA’s prime contractor for new spacesuits for future lunar missions. They are developing communications for them together with Nokia. It is expected that it will be possible to create it by adapting 4G/LTE technology to space conditions.
Wireless communication technologies in spacesuits
Axiom Space is working with Nokia to adapt terrestrial wireless technologies to provide high-speed communications for spacesuits for the Artemis lunar program. The two companies announced a partnership on August 21 to develop 4G/LTE communications technologies called LSCS (Lunar Surface Communications System) for spacesuits that NASA will need for use in the Artemis 3 mission. It doesn’t start until the end of 2026.
The LSCS technology consists of two main components. One is a “network in a box” that includes a base station, antennas and other systems that will be installed on the Human Landing Services vehicle that will carry astronauts to the surface of the Moon. Another would be a custom module fitted into the Axiom spacesuit.
4G/LTE connectivity will provide redundancy to existing links via UHF and Wi-Fi and increase bandwidth. “From a suit perspective, we like this because it will give us a lot more capability and it gives is a little bit more redundancy in the communications,” Russell Ralston, Axiom Space’s executive vice president of extravehicular activity, said in an interview.
He said integrating this technology into spacesuits would be trouble-free from the perspective of the astronauts who would wear them, as 4G/LTE was just one of the options an astronaut could choose depending on the mission requirements. However, it provides much greater capabilities, such as the ability to stream high-definition video from cameras on the spacesuit.
Application of the new system in space missions
The communications system is designed to operate within two kilometers of the landing vehicle, which is a NASA requirement for the Artemis 3 mission, said Thierry Klein, president of Bell Labs Solutions Research at Nokia. “But we have tested the system in some configurations on terrestrial demonstrations that go beyond that.”
Nokia will first test its LSCS system on the Moon on IM-2, Intuitive Machines’ second robotic lunar lander, scheduled for launch later this year. This system will provide communication between the landing vehicle and the lunar rover, developed by Lunar Outpost and a “hopper” by Intuitive Machines.
Klein said the success of this mission was not a prerequisite for using LSCS on Axiom spacesuits, as upgrades are already planned for future Artemis missions. “It’s very similar, but it’s not the exact same system,” he stated. “Of course, we hope the IM-2 mission will be successful, but if it isn’t, it doesn’t have a direct impact on Artemis.”
Nokia is considering further upgrading the LSCS to increase its range, especially for future missions in which astronauts will drive the lunar rover. The company is also participating in DARPA’s LunA-10 study to explore how communications networks utilizing this technology can provide commercial month-to-month economics in the next 10-15 years.
Funding for spacesuit improvement projects
Work on integrating communications technology into Axiom spacesuits is funded by a recent $57.5 million order awarded to NASA under the agency’s Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services, or xEVAS, contract. In September 2022, NASA selected this company to develop a spacesuit for the lunar landing mission as part of the Artemis program. The initial order value amounted to $228.5 million.
Russell said Axiom was moving into the critical design review (CDR) phase of spacesuit development, which would last until early next year. “We’re approaching that point in time where the design is really solidifying,” he said, noting that it’s important to have a partnership with Nokia now so that the technology can be incorporated into spacesuits before the CDR is finalized.
Adaptation of spacesuits for the ISS
Axiom was one of two companies selected by NASA to contract with xEVAS in 2022, and later that year NASA awarded an order to another company, Collins Aerospace, to develop a spacesuit for spacewalks to the International Space Station. However, in June, NASA and Collins announced that the company suspended work on the project, effectively leaving the program.
Axiom has a small order under the xEVAS program to study how its Artemis spacesuits can be adapted for use on the ISS. Russell said the company was beginning a preliminary design review of the ISS version of the spacesuit.
According to him, Axiom aims to create a unified spacesuit design architecture that will allow it to be used for Artemis or ISS missions with minimal modifications. “The suit can be deployed to basically any mission, and it may have a mission unique configuration,” he said.
According to spacenews.com
