What astronauts will wear on the big day when they set foot The moon As the first human more than 50 years ago?
Definitely a brand-new spacesuit and NASA is working hard to develop that. Is called Explore extravehicular mobility units (XEMU), astronauts need to protect astronauts from the harsh environment of the lunar surface, which is quite different from what astronauts have been exploring in low-Earth orbit for the past few decades.
The progress of the case has been imprinted by NASA crew working on the hard ticket hardware required by the Artemis program of lunar exploration – Orion Capsules and Many delayed space launch system rockets – But still the development continues.
Related: The evolution of the spacesuit in the picture
“XEMU presents the first new spacesuit that NASA has built in more than 40 years,” said George Neeld, the federal aviation administration’s associate administrator for commercial space transportation, during a quarterly meeting on NASA’s Webcast in October. Aerospace safety advice panel, On which he now sits .. “So far, it looks like things are pretty on schedule.”
Neeld outlined the agency’s plans to build five XEMU suites in the initial batch. One, NASA engineers that will be under design verification testing, is almost finished and it should be completed by December, he said. A second will be built for the aptitude test and a The third orbit will be tested International Space Station. The final two suits of the set are a mission to walk on the moon in 2024 called by NASA on Artemis 3.
In addition to the original spacesuits, every Artemis astronaut will also need interior cool clothing, and according to Neeld, NASA has now completed the first prototype of that underwear. And the agency also needs to upgrade its portable life support system, like the backpack that astronauts carry to survive while working.
Meanwhile, NASA crews are realizing how the new suite will be tested on the moon by testing submerged water patterns in NASA’s vast Neutral Buenos Aires laboratory pool. Johnson Space Center NASA uses the lab to simulate spacewalks in Houston, as engineers can mimic different gravities under water, such as the microgravity of low-Earth orbits and the one-sixth gravity of the moon.
Underwater, astronauts can get a feel for navigating the spacesuit and using the tools they use during the spacewalk. Lately, NASA has been using the sampling moon to study trends such as rock and dust, navigating the stairs, and using them formally. Putting up a flag On the lunar surface.
After all, lunar spacewalks are a different hurdle than orbital travel – which is why NASA needs a new spacesuit first.
“We have experience with the space station, but we need to determine how we are training the crew for sponsorship during this particular mission,” said Darren Welsh, who led the Spenwalk test. NASA said in a statement. “This preliminary test is the best complement to the benefits of hardware development and will help determine the future Artemis training and mission requirements.”
Email Meghan Bartels at Embartels Space.com or follow @MaganBertels on Twitter. Follow us On Twitter @speedotcom and on Facebook.
Analyst. Amateur problem solver. Wannabe internet expert. Coffee geek. Tv guru. Award-winning communicator. Food nerd.
