In essence, a spacesuit is a small spaceship. Everything an astronaut needs to survive has to be contained within his suit, which is why it is so important. Now, NASA has just unveiled two spacesuits designed for the Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024.
NASA’s current semi-rigid suits were first introduced almost 40 years ago, they are bulky and difficult to move. They were designed for floating spacewalks, not walking on a rocky surface. It was time for an update. The two new prototypes presented are much lighter and more efficient .
How are the new suits?
The first suit is the Orion Crew Life Support System that astronauts will use during launch and re-entry (it is a bright orange pressure suit); the second, the Extravehicular Mobility Exploration Unit (xEMU) suit is the one that astronauts will wear while exploring the lunar surface (red, white and blue).
The Artemis Program, NASA’s long-awaited return to the moon, is scheduled to land the first woman and the next man on the moon in 2024. The crew will explore the moon’s South Pole for water, ice and other resources. moles.
One of the most important aspects of the new xEMU suit will be its adaptability for use in a wide variety of environments. NASA wants a suit that astronauts can operate during spacewalks, on the lunar surface, and eventually on Mars.
The xEMU design offers astronauts the ability to interchange certain parts to meet their specific needs. For example, astronauts visiting Mars could adjust the components to suit the Red Planet’s atmosphere and seasonal changes in temperature. The suits can withstand temperatures ranging from -120ºC to 120ºC.
On the Moon, astronauts have to deal with a number of environmental challenges. One of the biggest concerns is dust. The new suits will have fewer seams, no zippers or cables. A new and improved visor will protect the helmets from possible scratches or bumps and can be changed so that the entire helmet does not have to be repaired.
There will also be a wider range of sizes available. Kristine Davis, a spacesuit engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, was commissioned to wear this new moonsuit.
Astronauts will now be able to raise their arms above their heads and touch their bodies thanks to advances in shoulder placement and new bearings that allow rotation at each joint.
What it takes to be an astronaut
The new suit is designed to avoid dust so that it does not infiltrate the life support system and can keep an astronaut safe between extreme temperatures in the shade and in the sun, especially at the South Pole.
Certainly the suit itself resembles the Apollo-era ones with its backpack functioning as the life support system that astronauts can use on the lunar surface. It fuels the suit, retains oxygen, removes toxic gases, odors, and moisture from the suit, regulates temperature, monitors performance, and issues warnings. But the most notable differences are in the details. The technology has been miniaturized , which could allow for longer spacewalks, for example.
“The Artemis space suit generation will fit everyone,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “We want every person who dreams of going into space to have that opportunity.”
The new suit is also slightly sleeker and slimmer, allowing for a greater range of motion while protecting astronauts from radiation, extreme temperatures, and micrometeoroids. The main suit is a pressure garment consisting of a helmet, upper torso, lower torso and a cooling garment. In addition, the new communications system in the helmet incorporates multiple microphones that activate when the astronaut speaks.
The suits will undergo various tests on the International Space Station before being used for Artemis missions in 2024.
Reference: NASA / Image Credit: NASA / Joel Kowsky
