WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) The U.S. space agency NASA unveiled on Tuesday the next-generation spacesuits to be used in its Artemis program that will send the first woman and next man to the Lunar South Pole by 2024.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine showcased the ground prototypes of two spacesuits designed for lunar exploration: one for exploring the Moon's surface, known as the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU), and one for launch and re-entry aboard the agency's new Orion spacecraft, known as the Orion Crew Survival System.
xEMU
-fitted with a pressure garment
-life-supporting backpack
-offers protection from radiation, extreme temperature and micrometeoroids
-advanced mobility to perform complex tasks
Before the first lunar landing in 1969, engineers worried that the lunar soil wouldn't support the weight of a spacesuit and the astronaut inside, but now a greater danger is that the lunar soil is composed of tiny glass-like shards which may damage the suit. Astronauts on the International Space Station will test the new spacesuits in coming years and it will be used in a small space station in lunar orbit and on Mars.
Bridenstine also demonstrated the Orion Crew Survival System at the event. The orange suit will be worn during launch and re-entry of NASA's new spacecraft to provide thermal protection for the astronauts in case of a depressurizing accident. NASA is planning to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024 and to land on Mars in 2030s.
