An amazing look at NASA's space suit tests as the lunar mission nears

Astronauts practice tasks in a simulated lunar environment

NASA

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

The company’s Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit aims to make life easier by increasing the flexibility and mobility of astronauts as they move around the surface of the Moon and collect geological samples.

Axiom Space completed an internal review of the suits earlier this month. Now it is NASA’s turn to assess whether they are ready for its Artemis III mission. Set in 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.

“This achievement reflects our shared commitment to deliver a safe and capable lunar spacesuit that will enable astronauts to explore the lunar surface,” Lara Kearney, extravehicular activity and human surface mobility program manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, explained in a recent statement.

So far, the suits have undergone more than 850 hours of pressure testing with someone inside. Here, two NASA crew members practice emergency rescue drills while donning suits in a pool that is about 12 meters deep. The suits are balanced to match the moon’s gravity, which is about one-sixth the gravity we experience on Earth.