The spacesuit that will help NASA make history (again)

Yesterday NASA pulled a Barney Stinson, revealing a next-generation spacesuit that two astronauts from its Artemis program will wear when they set foot on the Moon in the coming years. Space-suit up Ted, cuz you’re going to the Moon for the first time since 1972.

👩‍🚀 More details… The spacesuit, called AxEMU, represents NASA’s first new design in over 40 years. It was created as part of a $228 million contract awarded to Axiom Space, and reportedly developed with input from experts in the oil and gas, automotive, and theater industries.

And quite surprisingly given the involvement of the last industry, this suit ain’t no sequel. Unlike previous suits worn by Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and others on the Moon – which only allowed them to bunny hop across the lunar surface – the AxEMU suit features built-in joints that provide the necessary flexibility for walking, bending, and twisting.

It’s also a much better fit for female space travelers than any other NASA spacesuit. This will be especially important moving forward, since the space agency has confirmed at least one of the two Artemis astronauts who’ll initially set foot on the Moon will be a woman.

• Properly-sized suits weren't always a priority for NASA. In 2019, the agency was forced to cancel plans for the first all-female spacewalk in history just days before it launched, after discovering they only owned a single spacesuit that would fit a woman.

🌕👣 Bottom line: When astronauts set foot on the Moon in 2025/2026, they’ll need a suit that can withstand an extreme range of temperatures. The lunar surface experiences daytime highs of up to 260°F, as well as night-time lows around negative 280°F.