The U.S. Artemis 4 mission will mark the first human landing on the lunar surface this century. Astronauts have until 2028 to reach the South Pole of this Earth satellite, so the original technical specifications for developing a space suit for this mission must be simplified to speed up the process.
Image source: Axiom Space
NASA partners with Axiom Space must develop A new lightweight version of the spacesuit has been named the “Sortie Suit”. In addition to reducing weight and design complexity, it must provide better mobility for astronauts and simplify connections to the lunar module systems.
About four years ago, the task of developing a lunar space suit was assigned to Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace, but the latter later withdrew due to schedule delays and financial problems. Axiom Space remains the only NASA contractor capable of building a space suit to access the lunar surface, although it can’t boast a convincing pace of progress. Representatives from NASA and Axiom Space now meet six days a week, mostly in person, to continually adjust the lunar suit process to reflect changing priorities, people familiar with the matter said.
The initial version of the spacesuit (pictured above) increased the requirements for autonomy and protection of the astronauts, but turned out to be too bulky. NASA requires its design to be able to land on the lunar surface six times in 6.5 days, and even in storage mode, it can be used for spacewalks for 210 days. It was designed to protect astronauts from ultra-high and ultra-low temperatures and was specifically able to withstand a stay of up to two hours on the far side of the moon. It turned out that such a spacesuit would be too bulky and heavy, and Axiom’s manufacturing would likely fall behind schedule, so NASA reconsidered its priorities. First, a lighter assault suit will be created, and as practical experience is accumulated after manned lunar landings, NASA will re-formulate additional requirements. The equipment of this part of the astronauts will be gradually improved.
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