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Amazing sneak peek of NASA’s spacesuit tests as moon mission nears

NASA crew members practise emergency rescue drills in a 40-foot-deep pool simulating the lunar surface, as part of tests on a new generation of spacesuit, the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit
Astronauts practise tasks in simulated moon environment and underwater. Astronauts have been practising walking on the Moon as their next-generation spacesuit passes milestone testing. NASA astronauts and spacesuit engineers recently simulated lunar surface operations and tasks underwater wearing the new suits, built by Axiom Space, to demonstrate safety and mobility. The space agency reported Thursday (Feb 12) that the spacesuit has passed a contractor-led technical review and is hoped to be used for the Artemis III mission as NASA prepares to send humans to the Moon???s South Pole for the first time. NASA said: "The AxEMU (Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit) is designed to give astronauts increased flexibility and improved mobility for moonwalking, including bending down to collect geology samples and perform a variety of scientific tasks."
Astronauts practise tasks in a simulated moon environment
NASA

Preparing to send people back to the moon is a complex business, with astronaut safety at the top of the list of priorities. In the image above, NASA crew members are testing a new generation of spacesuits, built by Texas-based aerospace company Axiom Space.

The company鈥檚 Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit aims to make life easier by increasing the flexibility and mobility of the astronauts when they navigate the moon鈥檚 surface and collect geological samples.

Axiom Space completed its internal review of the suits earlier this month. Now, it is NASA鈥檚 turn to evaluate whether they are ready for its Artemis III mission. Set for 2028, Artemis III aims to return humans to the moon for the first time in over 55 years, this time to the lunar South Pole.

鈥淭his achievement reflects our shared commitment to deliver a safe, capable lunar spacesuit that will enable astronauts to explore the Moon鈥檚 surface,鈥 Lara Kearney, manager of the extravehicular activity and human surface mobility programme at NASA鈥檚 Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, explained in a recent statement.

So far, the suits have undergone more than 850 hours of pressurised testing with someone inside them. Here, two NASA crew members practise emergency rescue drills while donning the suits in a pool that is about 12 metres deep. The suits are weighted to match lunar gravity, which is about a sixth of the gravity we experience on Earth.

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Topics: Space