The NASA Artemis Program, which seeks to put the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2025, will feature new spacesuits developed by Axiom company. For the Artemis III Mission it will be when they are released, with the astronauts reaching the surface of our natural satellite.
The US aerospace agency made official the selection of Axiom Space as the supplier of the space suits, according to a statement released this week. The contract is for 228.5 million dollars, to develop the instruments for 10 years with the possibility of an additional 2 years.
Lara Kearney, manager of NASA’s Surface Extravehicular Activity and Human Mobility program, spoke in a statement about the Axiom designation.
“What we learn about Artemis III and future missions to and around the Moon will pave the way for missions to Mars,” Kearney said. “Space suits literally allow us to take the next step.”
The company, founded in 2016 by Michael Suffredini and Kam Ghaffarian, is headquartered in Houston. He recently starred in the first private trip to the International Space Station, with the American astronaut of Spanish origin Miguel López-Alegría at the helm.
The main features of the Axiom spacesuits for Artemis III
Axiom space suit part of the original NASA xEMU suit design, but with greater flexibility and specialized tools to meet exploration needs and expand scientific opportunities in space.
Each suit includes its life support, pressure garments and avionics.
NASA, with the launch of the Artemis I Mission, hopes to check the effects of radiation on astronauts. To do this, he will use three mannequins with sensors that will be key to the development of the Axiom Space suits.
Axiom Space must prepare the suits for recurring moon landings and low Earth orbit outside of the International Space Station.
“We are excited to provide our expertise to meet NASA’s exploration needs, while also serving our commercial customers in low-Earth orbit and meeting future space station goals that enable a commercial space economy,” Suffredini said.
“Our evolving and modernized spacesuits They will enable rapid upgrades to implement better and safer technologies over time, ensuring that our astronauts are always equipped with robust, high-performance equipment.”