Hidden details that NASA didn’t show in the new spacesuits: ScienceAlert

NASA has unveiled a new prototype for space suit destined to decorate the next astronauts on the moon. But the look is a bit misleading.

In an event on March 15th, NASA and new spacesuit contractor, Axiom Space, are out with their first iteration of the uniform for the Artemis generation of lunar astronauts.

Dubbed the “Next Generation AxEMY,” it’s the spacesuit that will protect The first astronauts to walk on the moon Since 1972 — including the first woman and first person of color to set foot on the moon, as soon as 2025, according to NASA’s plans.

The wake includes new joints that will allow astronauts to move with greater ease than in Apollo spacesuits, and shoes made for walking instead of hopping, for the first-ever human landing. On the frozen south pole of the moon.

But one distinguishing feature overshadowed the others: color. Sleek stripes of orange and blue are laid out on a dark suit, black like the void of space.

Design reflects elegance Dark brilliance from the SpaceX spacecraftSpace suits in some science fiction filmsspace exploration Fortnite Clothes and other future visions of cosmic exploration. But if an astronaut wore it on the moon, he’d be in grave danger.

When the first Artemis lunar astronauts from the Starship exit to the lunar surface, they will be wearing an Axiom spacesuit, but it will be white.

Astronauts can’t wear black on the moon

Apollo Moon’s suits were white for a reason.

In a harsh environment with no atmosphere to protect you from the sun, temperature management is key to survival. Spacesuits must be reflective and well insulated to keep astronauts cool in the sun’s unfiltered glare.

In the new prototype, “the shell layer is currently used for display purposes only to disguise the suit’s proprietary design,” Axiom Space wrote in a paper. launch.

The company designed the cover layer with Esther Marquis, the costume designer for the Apple TV+ series for all mankindwhich imagines what might have happened if the space race had gone differently.

The true appearance of the spacesuit for the first Artemis mission remains a mystery until now.

“The white version will be provided directly to NASA. We are offering a fleet of training spacesuits to be delivered to NASA late this summer,” Axiom spokesperson Meredith Moore told Insider in an email.

As for the real white suit’s public reveal, Moore said, “We don’t have a current date, but it’s something we’ll continue to collaborate with NASA on.”

This article was originally published by Business interested.

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