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In the next few years, something very interesting and important awaits us – NASA wants to send people to the moon again. It was originally expected that the manned mission would be carried out in 2024, however, at some point there were big problems with the spacesuits. American astronauts are still wearing suits that were designed in the late 1990s, so something modern is a must for a new mission.
According to information from the Internet, the aerospace agency has spent more than $ 400 million on this case, and so far has not presented anything worthwhile – except, perhaps, two prototypes in 2019. Recently it became known that the responsibility for the development of a new generation of spacesuits was shifted to private companies Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace. Let’s find out 5 facts about the new generation of spacesuits for flying to the moon.
Suits will fit everyone
Aerospace agency NASA and private companies Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace have signed a contract that is valid until 2034. The choice fell on these companies because Collins Aerospace was involved in the creation of the current suits, and Axiom Space has experience in space tourism and wants to create its own segment on the ISS.
The latter company is especially interested in working with NASA, because it will be able to use the created suits in its missions. The contract does not have a fixed amount – the agency will pay for specific stages of development. In total, $3.5 billion has been set aside for the development of spacesuits.
Old NASA spacesuits
NASA has given companies almost complete freedom to develop. But there is one important requirement – spacesuits must fit people with any physique. More specifically, suits should be on time starting with the 5% of the shortest women and 95% of the tallest men.
There will be two suits
As part of the Artemis mission, two types of spacesuits will be used. Most likely, private companies will improve the prototypes presented in 2019. The first of these is called xEMU and is designed specifically for walking on the surface of the moon.
The second is referred to as OCSS and will protect the bodies of astronauts inside the spacecraft, during takeoff and landing. Space suits are divided into two types, because they cannot be universal. To walk on the moon you need something well-protected and massive like xEMU, and something lightweight like OCSS inside the ship.
xEMU suit (left) and OCSS (right)
Suits will be as comfortable as possible
Inside the xEMU lunar suit, astronauts will be able to work up to 8 hours – another hour is reserved for emergency situations. It will allow researchers to stay on the moon at temperatures from -121 to +121 degrees Celsius. Unlike the old suits, the new suit will allow you to easily turn your torso and even bend down to pick up rocks from the satellite’s surface.
The xEMU suit will allow you to lift rocks from the surface of the moon
As for the OCSS suit, it will be as light as possible, but at the same time it will protect well from cosmic radiation and exposure to different temperatures. Gloves will be made in such a way that pressing a touch screens is recognized as easily as possible.
The OCSS suit will make it easier to control the spacecraft
Suits will allow you to walk on the moon
If you watch a video of the first flight to the moon in 1969, you can see that Neil Armstrong moves by jumping. During the presentation of the new spacesuits, NASA President James Bridenstine noted that the new spacesuits will allow walking on the surface of the Moon – this will be their main feature.
How the engineers achieved this is currently unknown. Most likely, we will find out about this closer to 2025, when the day of the flight approaches. In order not to miss the article, subscribe to our Telegram channel, you will not be disappointed!
The first people on the moon moved by jumping
Space suits will make it easier to study the moon
For the NASA aerospace agency, not only the fact of returning people to the moon is important. Astronauts will be engaged in research work that will require endurance and attentiveness from them. First of all, they will collect lunar soil – as part of the mission, it is planned to send 85 kilograms of samples to Earth.
Also, the astronauts will try to establish a video link with the Earth and, ideally, we will be able to watch a historically important event live. It is expected that the new suits will significantly facilitate the implementation of these tasks.
Maybe we can watch the mission live
It turns out that in many ways the success of the Artemis program will depend on private companies – NASA will simply control the process. The organization has shifted to private companies not only the development of spacesuits, but also the creation of a landing module – this is done by SpaceX.
Finally, here is an additional fact about the Artemis mission. It is reported that astronauts will be able to move on the surface of the moon in a car. I talked about how it will be here.
