NASA requires the development of gloves and boots capable of enduring freezing lunar temperatures.
Flexing Muscles and Fabrics: NASA Gears Up for Lunar Chill
NASA is gearing up for a frosty journey as its next crew embarks on a mission to the Moon's frigid south pole. A team of tenacious engineers is putting prototypes of the next-gen spacesuits through their paces, testing them in a colossal cryogenic chamber known as CITADEL.
Originally built to test robot parts for voyages beyond our planet, CITADEL now serves a new purpose — preparing humanity for its long-awaited return to the Moon. "We're aiming to figure out how much risk astronauts are exposed to in the permanent shadowed regions, and gloves and boots are crucial," says Zach Fester, an engineer with the Advanced Suit Team at NASA and technical lead for the boot testing.
The chilly chamber, standing at 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide, calls the halls of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory home. Unlike traditional cryogenic facilities that use liquid nitrogen, CITADEL harnesses the power of compressed helium to reach temperatures as frigid as -370°F (-223°C). Reaching these sub-zero temperatures takes several days, and reopening the chamber can cause the cooling process to start anew. Prepared for the challenge, CITADEL is equipped with four load locks, allowing researchers to slip materials into the chamber without disrupting its icy vacuum state.
CITADEL's mechanical arm and combined visible and infrared cameras ensure that every testing minute is captured in vivid detail. Although the chamber once played host to non-crewed missions, it now serves humanity's lunar returning heroes. Testing for the Moon missions takes a turn, with abrasive materials and lunar regolith-like substances added to the chamber. Aluminum blocks mimic the tools that astronauts will wield on the lunar surface.
In the past, NASA would expose its astronauts to the chilling glove box for hands-on thermal testing. However, the space agency has since switched to a custom-built manikin hand and foot. The manikin's extremities are adorned with a system of fluid loops and over three-dozen temperature and heat flux sensors, collecting valuable data about the spacesuit components' performance under stress.
The Artemis 3 mission is poised to set foot on the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo era. While Apollo astronauts touched down near the Moon's equator on the sunlit side, Artemis crews will venture into the moon's shadowy south pole. This region piques scientists' interest as it may house water ice, but it also offers a harsh environment with ancient darkness and temperatures that can plummet to a bone-chilling -414°F (-248°C).
The astronauts returning to the Moon will grace the lunar surface in sleek, modern spacesuits. In 2022, NASA entrusted Axiom Space with the creation of the first moonwalking spacesuits since the Apollo missions. Dubbed the AxEMU, this suite embodies the legacy of the Apollo-era spacewear while incorporating cutting-edge tech for improved mobility and protection against the lunar environment. Fashion-forward and functional, the AxEMU's design resonates with Prada’s expertise in design and materials.
The tests in CITADEL shed light on crucial criteria that NASA needs for its next-gen AxEMU spacesuits. Preliminary results show that the current gloves, a sixth iteration from a line traced back to the 1980s, might not withstand the lunar south pole's rigorous thermal demands. The testing on the boots is still under analysis, but the findings are highly anticipated.
"This test is designed to determine the limits," says Shane McFarland, technology development lead for the Advanced Suit Team at NASA Johnson. "We want to know how long gloves or boots can endure the lunar environment, and we aim to quantify the gap in current hardware's capabilities. This information will serve our Artemis suit vendor, and we also aim to develop this exceptional testing capability to judge future hardware designs."
The upcoming Artemis 3 mission, slated for launch in 2027, prepares to send brave astronauts through previously unexplored territories on the Moon. Here's to a successful mission in the dark and frosty lunar south pole!
- In preparation for the future Artemis 3 mission, NASA is testing new spacesuits in a cryogenic chamber called CITADEL, originally designed for robot parts and now used to prepare humans for the lunar return.
- The space agency is looking into the risks astronauts might face in the Moon's shadowed regions, with a focus on gloves and boots due to their crucial role in protecting the astronauts from the cold.
- CITADEL, located at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, uses compressed helium to reach temperatures as low as -370°F (-223°C), simulating the harsh conditions on the Moon's south pole.
- NASA now utilizes a custom-built manikin hand and foot for thermal testing in CITADEL instead of exposing astronauts to the cold, as the manikin provides valuable data on spacesuit components' performance under stress.
- The new spacesuits, dubbed the AxEMU, designed by Axiom Space, will incorporate fashion-forward design inspired by Prada while also featuring advanced technology for improved mobility and protection against the lunar environment.
