In June 2022, NASA partnered with private company Axiom to develop the AxEMU, a next-generation spacesuit. The plan is to put them into service from Artemis III, which will return American astronauts to the moon in a few years. And the crew of this historic mission will be at their best: Axiom has just teamed up with Prada, the famous Italian luxury brand!
Axiom, for example, wants to rely on “Prada’s expertise in raw materials and various manufacturing techniques.” However, the real foundation of this collaboration lies elsewhere: where the brand can really make an important contribution is at the level of Ergonomics and comfort.
Even today, American astronauts wear suits that are no longer new. Most of these were built in the 1990s; But The design dates from 1983 ! Therefore, it becomes very urgent to replace these old parts. For even as they have paved the way to mighty feats, they are beginning to show their limitations. No serious accidents have been reported at the moment… But sometimes there have been close calls.
For example, in 2013 and March 2022, astronauts Luca Parmitano and Matthias Maurer paid the price. Both experienced fluid leaks from their helmets during a spacewalk. Very worrying malfunctions that could have had absolutely catastrophic consequences.
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Apart from these reliability concerns, which fortunately remain rare, these suits pose another major problem: they are very poorly adapted to the new challenges of space exploration.
Ergonomics, comfort and mobility
When they were designed forty years ago, engineers’ only priority was to ensure the safety of astronauts in the unforgiving vacuum of space. Ergonomics, on the other hand, has largely fallen by the wayside. Not only are they heavy and bulky, but they also significantly restrict the freedom of movement of their occupants – and therefore the tasks they can carry out.
A big deal at a time when humanity is starting to talk about large-scale interplanetary colonization. In fact, tomorrow’s astronauts will have to spend a lot more time in their suits, for example, setting up outposts on the moon. Therefore, it is essential that they feel comfortable in these human-like spaceships.
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This is one of Axiom’s top priorities and the company hopes that Prada’s expertise can add valuable value in this regard. “Prada’s technical expertise will enable critical technological advances to ensure the comfort of astronauts on the lunar surface, but also to address the essential human factors missing from older generation suits,” the press release said.
It will therefore be very interesting to see what ergonomic innovations will emerge from this collaboration. More broadly, it will therefore be appropriate to carefully monitor the progress of this crucial element for the continuation of the Artemis programme. Because even if all other elements of the mission are completed on time, it is highly unlikely that NASA will give the green light if the suits are not ready on time. Like SpaceX with its Starship, Axiom will therefore have to work particularly hard to meet the official deadline of 2025 – even if this goal seems more unrealistic every day.