NASA’s New Spacesuit Contract Is a Big, Fat Expensive Gamble
NASA astronauts are getting a major wardrobe makeover.
The agency announced on Wednesday that it has chosen Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace to build its next generation of spacesuits to be used in the Artemis missions to the moon and those still set to go to the International Space Station. The companies were selected as a part of the Exploration Extravehicular Activity contract solicitation, which awards the companies a potential $3.5 billion based on the products and services they provide through 2034.
The suit is expected to facilitate exploration on the surface of the moon, as well as spacewalks outside of spacecraft orbiting the Earth and the moon. NASA is currently aiming for the suits to be ready by the Artemis 3 mission currently slated for 2025—poised to be the return of astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in 50 years The agency also said that the two companies will also be helping develop spacesuits for future crewed missions to Mars (though timeline on that is still TBD).
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