SpaceX has unveiled a new extravehicular activity (EVA) suit that could make its low-Earth orbit debut by the end of the summer. The new uniform is described as an evolution of the spacesuits currently worn by astronauts aboard the Dragon mission, which is designed only to remain in a pressurized environment. In contrast, EVA suits allow astronauts to move in and out of the capsule as needed, thanks to many advances in material manufacturing, joint design, redundant safety enhancements, and helmet visor head-up display (HUD) integration. You will be able to work. ).
announced over the weekendSpaceX’s EVA suit will be worn by the four-person crew that will make up the Polaris program’s first mission. Polaris Dawn. The Polaris program, which first launched in 2022, is a joint venture by SpaceX aimed at “rapidly advancing human spaceflight capabilities.” According to the website. Polaris Dawn, scheduled to take place by summer 2024, will be the first commercial spacewalk and the first to involve four astronauts at the same time. While making history outside the Dragon capsule, the crew will be the first to test the Starlink laser-based communications system that SpaceX believes will be essential for future missions to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. Become.
Mobility is at the heart of SpaceX’s teaser video Posted on X On May 4th, EVA suit wearers demonstrated the smooth range of motion of their fingers, shoulders, and elbows.as PCMag.com SpaceX’s EVA suit, also detailed Monday, is made of a variety of fiber-based thermal materials and includes semi-rigid rotational joints that allow it to work in both pressurized and non-pressurized environments. I am. For the boots, designers utilized the same thermoelastic material used in the interstages of the Falcon 9 rocket and the trunk of the Dragon capsule.
Polaris Dawn astronauts will also wear 3D-printed polycarbonate helmets with copper and indium tin oxide coated visors, along with anti-glare and anti-fog treatments. During the spacewalk some 435 miles above Earth, each crew member’s helmet projects an integrated head-up display (HUD) that provides real-time pressure, temperature, and relative humidity readings.
[Related: Moon-bound Artemis III spacesuits have some functional luxury sewn in.]
Like the costumes designed by Prada for NASA’s Artemis III astronauts, SpaceX’s EVA suits are also meant to show a future where all types of body types can live and work outside Earth. SpaceX explains All EVA upgrades are scalable in design and can be customized to accommodate “a variety of body types as SpaceX aims to improve access to space for all humanity.” The company’s proposed goal of producing “millions” of spacesuits for multiplanetary life may seem far-fetched at this point, but even though it currently only has four suits. Even so, you have to start somewhere.