Developers of a next-generation NASA spacesuit reached a major design milestone on Monday, NASA reported. Collins Aerospace is building the new suit for spacewalks outside the ISS. The suit’s fit and functionality were successfully tested in a microgravity-like environment created during the voyage.
NASA shares moments during spacesuit testing
These images show the suit being worn in an environment similar to the brief moments of zero gravity created by an airplane performing roller coaster-like maneuvers. In the footage, we see the suit wearer simulating critical maneuvers like those performed by astronauts on the ISS, such as climbing into an airlock.
NASA described the test as a “key step” in this preliminary design review process to ensure that the production process meets all system requirements before it begins.
“The test allowed us to examine specific goals of the design that could support a range of crew member sizes and missions in a controllable environment,” said Peggy Guirgis, Collins Aerospace’s general manager for space systems.
The team will continue to test the next-generation spacesuit in a vacuum chamber, and it will also be tested in NASA’s Neutral Darkness Laboratory, a 12-meter-deep, water-filled pool at Johnson Space Center in Houston that simulates a microgravity environment.
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“This next-generation spacesuit is designed to advance NASA’s spacewalk capabilities in low Earth orbit. It is being developed to support station maintenance and operations, and NASA and its international partners continue scientific research that benefits humanity while demonstrating new technologies for future human and robotic missions.”
The suit currently used by ISS astronauts for spacewalks has remained largely unchanged in the station’s more than 20-year lifespan. Although it has performed well over the years, NASA wants to build something lighter and more comfortable, using the latest technology.
