NASA Requires Lunar-Resistant Gloves and Footwear to Endure Freezing Lunar Temperatures
Facing the Frigid: NASA's Lunar Mission and the Challenge of Keeping Astronauts Warm
Preparing for NASA's upcoming lunar missions means tackling a challenge that wasn't an issue during the Apollo program – maintaining warmth in the Moon's frosty, permanently shadowed regions close to the south pole. To address this, a team of NASA engineers is gearing up to put the next-gen spacesuits' elbow joints through their paces in a colossal cryogenic chamber, known as CITADEL.
Originally built to test robot parts for non-crewed missions explorating the icy moons of our solar system, CITADEL is now repurposed for mankind's long-awaited return to the Moon.
"The goal is to understand the risk posed to astronauts venturing into perpetual darkness, and gloves and boots play a vital role since they facilitate prolonged contact with chilly surfaces and tools," explained Zach Fester, lead engineer for boot testing with the Advanced Suit Team at NASA Johnson.
CITADEL, which stands almost 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide, calls NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory home. Rather than relying on liquid nitrogen like most cryogenic facilities, CITADEL uses compressed helium, plunging temperatures to a mind-boggling -370 Fahrenheit (-223 Celsius). Reaching these extreme lows requires several days, and opening the chamber triggers a lengthy recooling process. To streamline operations, CITADEL consists of four load locks – drawer-like compartments allowing test materials to be inserted without disturbing the chilled, vacuum conditions.
In addition, CITADEL boasts a robotic arm for grabbing test pieces and cameras capturing the entire testing process, both in visible and infrared light. For simulations replicating lunar missions, the team plans to introduce abrasion testing and moon-like material, as well as aluminum blocks standing in for tools that astronauts might grip.
Historically, NASA would resort to enlisting its astronauts for thermal testing. This involved them plunging their gloved hands into frigid glove boxes, gripping freezing objects, and holding on until their skin temperatures dropped to a bone-chilling 50°F (10°C). Now, a custom-built manikin hand and foot handle testing duties inside CITADEL, its extremities outfitted with a fluid system replicating blood flow and dozens of temperature and heat flux sensors collecting data from inside the gloves and boots.
NASA's Artemis 3 mission aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo era. Unlike Apollo moonwalkers, who touched down near the equator on the Moon's near side, Artemis crews will examine the lunar south pole. Scientists are intrigued by the south pole as it may contain water ice in perpetual darkness, but its frigid temperatures and unlit regions present a daunting landscape. Artemis astronauts will venture into craters housing ice deposits, braving temperatures that can dip as low as -414°F (-248°C), according to NASA.
On the fashion front, astronauts venturing back to the Moon will don cutting-edge, stylish spacesuits. In 2022, NASA tasked Axiom Space with creating the first moonwalking spacesuits since the Apollo missions, which resulted in the unveiling of the AxEMU (Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit). Axiom Space teamed up with Prada, leveraging the brand's design prowess and materials to provide astronauts with an attractive look and enhance the spacesuit's functionality.
Testing in CITADEL serves a dual purpose: first, to help NASA establish criteria for the next-gen AxEMU spacesuits, and second, to gauge the performance of the current gloves in the challenging lunar south pole environment. The gloves have underperformed in CITADEL trials, raising concerns over their ability to meet the Moon's thermal demands. Results from the boot testing are still under analysis.
Shane McFarland, technology development lead for the Advanced Suit Team at NASA Johnson, laid it out in a statement, "We're looking to pinpoint the limits, like how long the glove or boot can withstand the lunar environment. We want to measure our hardware shortcomings to inform the Artemis suit vendor and develop this unique test capability to evaluate future designs."
Scheduled to launch in 2027, Artemis 3 will propel astronauts into uncharted lunar realms. Hopefully, they can brave the Moon's frosty south pole and return home warm and cozy.
The upcoming Artemis 3 mission, set to launch in 2027, will require astronauts to wear cutting-edge, stylish spacesuits designed by Axiom Space and Prada. The spacesuits will be subjected to testing in NASA's cryogenic chamber, CITADEL, to evaluate their performance in the challenging lunar south pole environment, particularly for maintaining warmth in the Moon's frosty, permanently shadowed regions. The gloves have already undergone tests in CITADEL, indicating underperformance, raising concerns about their ability to meet the Moon's thermal demands. The results from the boot testing are still under analysis to inform the Artemis suit vendor and develop future test capabilities for space technology and health-and-wellness in space-and-astronomy missions.
