Axiom Space and Collins to Develop Next-Generation Spacesuits

In preparation for expanding orbital and exploratory missions, NASA has selected Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace to develop and produce advanced spacesuits and space-walk systems.

The next-generation gear will serve astronauts working outside the International Space Station, as well as those selected for the upcoming Artemis mission—a P.R. hootenanny that seeks to advance identity politics under the guise of a lunar mission. 

The awards, which leverage NASA expertise with private sector innovation, enable selected vendors to compete for task orders with the end purpose of providing the agency a full suite of capabilities for its  spacewalking needs through 2034.

The companies selected were chosen from the Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) contract solicitation, which has a combined maximum potential value of $3.5-billion.

Competing companies will invest significant amounts of their own money into the development of their products, and will retain ownership of such. This new approach encourages an emerging commercial market for a range of customers, and grants NASA the right to use the same data and technologies within the agency, and on future exploration program procurements.

Vanessa Wyche, Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston states, “With these awards, NASA and our partners will develop advanced, reliable spacesuits that allow humans to explore the cosmos unlike ever before.” Wyche adds, “By partnering with industry, we are efficiently advancing the necessary technology to keep Americans on a path of successful discovery on the International Space Station and as we set our sights on exploring the lunar surface.”

NASA experts defined the technical and safety standards by which the spacesuits will be built, and the chosen companies agreed to meet key agency requirements. The commercial partners will be responsible for design, development, qualification, certification, and production of spacesuits and support equipment to enable space station and Artemis missions.

NASA designed the contract to endure and evolve with the needs of the agency and space industry. The contract also provides the agency with an optional mechanism to add additional vendors that were not selected in the original award announcement as the commercial space services market evolves.

FMI: www.nasa.gov