More than five decades have passed when astronauts from NASA Step on the moon again. The US agency plans to complete the Artemis mission after 2025 and faces a series of challenges along the way. One of them: creation The suits used by astronauts who will travel to the moon.
This development is “normative, scalable and evolutionary,” says Leslie Roach in an interview. TN Techno. She is the Director of Business Development and EVA at Collins Aerospacea company that partnered with NASA to design and develop spacesuits that they presented to the public a few days ago under the contract that the website reported. space news It also includes the company Axion Space.
What improvements do these new suits include in relation to those previously used by NASA astronauts?
When designing a suit, we look for Contributions from astronauts to guide our development With an ergonomic design, it adapts to a wider range of body sizes. Some of the innovations we’ve introduced into the new suit include: improved lifecycle, reduced overall mass, upper arm cushions that provide greater range of motion without injury, and a moonwalker that offers greater durability.
– Both the Artemis mission and the announcement of these new suits highlighted the female presence in the astronaut group. What are the features of tailored suits for women?
One of NASA’s requests was that it could be used by a wider range of astronaut sizes. Our suit is designed to fit crew members of all sizes, using components that are adjustable and able to go up or down in size with ease. Adaptation to all crew members.
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– If you had to choose the main challenge in developing these suits, what would it be?
We have challenged ourselves to develop a suit that is affordable and full of advanced technology. A space suit is basically a miniature spacecraft.. Designing something this complex involves balancing many challenges to create the best comprehensive system for astronauts to live and work in space.
How is the development team made up? Are experts from other regions involved, as well as astronauts?
Our development team consists of technical professionals from a range of disciplines, including project managers, life support specialists, human factors engineers, systems engineers, mechanical and aerospace engineers, and of course EVA specialists, as well as some astronauts. These professionals come from the companies that make up our team, which includes organizations that have been designing and developing spacesuits since the Apollo program.
We know there are tests before publishing. How do they do it in this case? Do they simulate here the conditions of the lunar environment?
– Allowances will be subject to Rigorous testing before they are ready for space. This includes conditions that mimic those of the Moon, such as a boulder field where an astronaut can engage in activities similar to those on the Moon. Other simulation and testing activities include a water lab environment where crew members can practice mobility while wearing the suit.
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They said it was from NASA These suits are an “important part of the development of human space exploration”. After Roche, they actually created a demonstration suit, the ones we see in the photos and in the video. What steps do they follow? “We will produce a series of suits according to the agency’s schedule, and the completion date has not been announced,” the specialist explains.
In addition, these suits will be used by astronauts traveling to the International Space Station, the orbiting laboratory located about 400 kilometers from Earth.
The United States will return to the Moon after 2025, according to estimates by its space agency. This will be a milestone after a long absence of humans on the natural satellite: The last time a NASA astronaut walked on the Moon was in 1972.. On this occasion, both female and male members are expected to arrive.