NASA, Axiom Space Test Next-Generation Artemis III Spacesuits

NASA said testers from the agency and Axiom Space are putting a next-generation lunar spacesuit through its paces in preparation for the Artemis III mission.

According to NASA, the team performed maneuverability tasks that will be done during moonwalks, including bending down to pick up lunar samples. The tests will continue at various facilities, with future tasks to include underwater gravity operations at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory and design changes based on experiment results.

Axiom Space was selected in September to manufacture the spacesuits, NASA said.

The spacesuit test is one of several lines of effort NASA is undertaking in anticipation of future Artemis programs.

Earlier in January, NASA selected Blue Origin and SpaceX to build a manned space vehicle that can transport large cargo to the moon. NASA said the lunar landers, designed to carry up to 15 metric tons of cargo, are expected to be part of the Artemis 7 mission, slated for the early 2030s.

In August, NASA used the Commander Moonikin Campos crash test dummy to test astronaut safety. Moonikin Campos, which returned to Earth after Artemis I, wore the Orion Crew Survival System spacesuit during sled testing acceleration at Wright Patterson Air Base to validate astronaut restraint systems.