Axiom Space plans to deliver a full set of training suits by the end of summerNEW YORK, March 16.
/tass/. The American company Axiom Space and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) presented on Wednesday the first prototype of a new generation space suit, which is planned to be used to land astronauts on the Moon as part of the Artemis program.
A black spacesuit with orange, dark blue and blue elements was presented at an event for students and the press in Houston (Texas). As the head of the US Space Agency Bill Nelson emphasized at the presentation, Axiom Space is a key partner of NASA in preparing for the landing of astronauts on the Moon. The new generation of spacesuits "will not only allow a woman to set foot on the surface of the Moon for the first time, but will also give more people than ever the opportunity to explore and conduct experiments" on the Earth's natural satellite, Nelson's words are quoted on the NASA website .
As indicated in the statement, the specialists of the American space agency "set the technical characteristics and safety requirements" of the new spacesuits, which Axiom Space "agreed to adhere to." The new spacesuit was named AxEMU (Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit, Axiom spacesuit). Although only a prototype was presented on Wednesday, Axiom Space plans to supply NASA with "a full set of training suits by the end of this summer," according to a statement on the developer's website.
"AxEMU is distinguished by the mobility and flexibility necessary to study the lunar landscape," the NASA website states. The space agency notes that the new spacesuit will suit "90% of the male and female population of the United States." Last September, NASA announced that it had selected Axiom Space to develop a new generation of space suits for use on the third stage of the Artemis lunar mission. The contract value was estimated at $228.5 million.
In the spring of 2019, NASA announced the project of the Artemis lunar program, which will consist of three stages. On November 16, 2022, the Space Launch System superheavy launch vehicle, as part of the first stage of the lunar mission, launched the Orion spacecraft with three mannequins on board, which made a turn around the Earth satellite and landed in the Pacific Ocean on December 11. The second stage (Artemis 2) involves a flyby of the Moon with a crew on board, and the third - the landing of astronauts on the Moon and regular manned missions.
