Researchers are also devising ways to deal with the vast temperature swings on the moon’s surface-from a high of 260☏ in sunlight to a low of minus 280☏. So, for the suit’s outer layers, robust fabrics will be infused with tough coatings to protect the inner mobility garment. Environmental Protection GarmentĮach speck of lunar dust and rock is sharp and abrasive because there’s no water erosion to buff the edges. Prototype suits feature a 3-bearing shoulder, dual-axis waist, hip swivel, and break line at the back of the knee to provide much greater range of motion than the Apollo suits had. Take a 3D Tour Inside the Apollo 11 Command Module JointsĪpollo suits used cables and pulleys to help astronauts lift their limbs. The pack is low-slung, providing a lower center of gravity than in the Apollo packs, which caused astronauts to fall, says Pablo de León, Ph.D., director of the Human Spaceflight Laboratory at University of North Dakota. Life Support BackpackĬontains compressed oxygen and a pump to circulate liquid through the suit’s cooling system. Some internal parts could be custom-fit to an astronaut’s hands right on the moon using a 3D printer. But they also must be durable to protect against sharp regolith or temperature extremes, and showers of micrometeoroids. “If a human can’t get in there and do those fine, dexterous tasks, then that eliminates one of the main reasons that we’re putting the human at the work site,” says Jacobs. “So whenever anybody says you can’t scratch your nose in space,” says Jacobs, “well, actually you can.” Gloves Two inverted cones built into the shield plug the nose so wearers can blow hard to equalize ear pressure. Plus, no more “Snoopy cap” worn on the head inside the helmet. This gives wearers a broader field of view, especially of the ground, and makes room for mounted communications devices. New helmets are elongated, narrower through the shoulders and longer front to back. “ will have to be very reliable, and have to be serviced, maintained, and used for many, many, many extravehicular activities, for hours at a time.” Here’s a look at the next EMU. “Unlike Apollo, where we stayed for a maximum three days, we’re going to need suits that are very robust,” says Shane Jacobs, Ph.D., lead spacesuit designer for the David Clark Company. And they’ll be waiting for you to slip into on the Moon’s surface when you arrive. But what will space suits look like when we make it back to the Moon, or to our next great frontier, Mars?įirst off, let’s get the lingo right: They’re Extravehicular Mobility Units, EMUs for short. For the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, you’ve no doubt seen plenty of photos of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins in their classic space suits, circa 1969.

Ultimate spacie with knee