In five years, they should be back on the moon, if everything works out. But this time, the US astronauts should have it a bit easier than the "Apollo" missions half a century ago: on their next moon landing, they will not have to jump over the earth satellite, but to be supple. The new, more flexible space suit, whose prototype was presented by the US space agency Nasa, is to ensure this.
The suit named Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) gives astronauts more freedom of movement than the "Apollo" model. Thanks to its standard size, xEMU fits women and men alike.
"Recalling the Apollo generation, we remember Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin hopping like bunnies across the lunar surface," said Nasa boss Jim Bridenstine at the space agency headquarters in Washington. "Now it will be possible for us to walk across the lunar surface, unlike the previous suits."
Pick up items without losing your balance
NASA engineer Kristine Davis showed how, in her white suit with red and blue stripes, she can raise her arms above her head and bend down to pick up items without losing her balance.
The 1st man and next one wants to go to the moon in 2024
Today, we previewed the next-generation #Artemis spacesuits that our astronauts will wear - 1 for launch and re-entry, and 1 for exploring the lunar South Pole. Watch a recap: https://t.co/e4cxB3rK6e pic.twitter.com/PtYSLqHq62
The suit should be able to withstand ambient temperatures of -157 degrees to +121 degrees for humans, at least in a vacuum. "If we fly to Mars, then we need a new insulation, because there is an atmosphere there," said NASA engineer Amy Ross. That was not a problem. Because the whole suit is modular. The same core system should be suitable for the International Space Station ISS, a future space station in a lunar orbit, for the lunar surface or for Mars.
In addition, the system has been improved to absorb carbon dioxide that results from breathing. While previous spacesuits absorb CO2 only up to a certain degree of saturation, the model xEMU can release the gas outward into space.
Planned moon landing in 2024
The US wants to bring a human to the moon again in 2024 - for the first time since 1972. The orange suit was also introduced, which the astronauts were to carry on the way to the earth satellite in the space shuttle. The Orion Crew Survival Suit allows up to six days to survive, for example, a meteorite should penetrate the outer wall of their spaceship.
The two new space suits in a single size can be adapted to the respective astronauts. So far, space suits are made in different sizes. Presumably, the successors will be ready for use only one year before the planned moon mission.
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New spacesuits: No more walking on the moonIt was only in March that the US Space Agency had to cancel its first planned space-only use by women because there were not enough suit suits available. Originally, the two astronauts Christina Koch and Anne McClain were supposed to do the field together, but there was only one Space suit in size M. Then McClain had to be replaced by her colleague Nick Hague.
The incident was particularly embarrassing, as NASA had announced the first outdoor use of a purely female team big. The Space Agency was accused of indirectly discriminating against women.
According to Bridenstine, the mission will be rescheduled on Thursday or Friday. In addition to Koch, Jessica Meir will take part in him, who joined the ISS crew in September - McClain has meanwhile returned to Earth.
LIVE: Experts discuss the 1st all-female spacewalk scheduled to take place on either Thurs., Oct. 17 or Fri., Oct 18. @Astro_Christina and @Astro_Jessica wants to venture outside the @Space_Station for a ~ 6.5 hour spacewalk for station maintenance.
LISTS: https://t.co/ZuxLDtRxxM pic.twitter.com/FdmTRASmlm
Koch and Meir are to replace a faulty battery charging system, as the Nasa boss announced on Twitter.