NASA Moon mission 2028 spacesuit delay: NASA is planning an ambitious return of humans to the Moon in 2028, but the historic mission now faces a serious threat, the astronauts’ spacesuits are not ready yet. A new report from NASA’s Office of Inspector General warns that delays in developing the next-generation suits could push the mission timeline back to 2031.
The spacesuits currently used by NASA astronauts on the International Space Station were originally designed nearly 50 years ago, and over the past two decades they have seen little significant modernization. Meanwhile, the old Apollo-era lunar suits are no longer usable. To address this, NASA awarded contracts in 2022 worth about $3.1 billion to two private companies, Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace, with the plan that these companies would build the suits while NASA would lease them for missions.
However, the project soon ran into trouble, as Collins Aerospace withdrew from the program in 2024 after failing to meet deadlines, leaving Axiom Space solely responsible. NASA had initially aimed to demonstrate a Moon-ready suit by 2025 and test a microgravity version aboard the space station in 2026, but the Inspector General’s report states that meeting this timeline is now unrealistic.
Time is running out, as NASA wants to complete testing on the International Space Station before its planned retirement in 2030. The suits must be fully ready for the Artemis IV mission in 2028, which is expected to mark humanity’s return to the Moon for the first time since 1972. The report clearly warns that if delays at Axiom Space continue, no operational suit may be available before 2031.
As a potential backup, the report mentions spacesuits developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which were recently tested during the Polaris Dawn mission, and the company claims that with some modifications, these suits could be adapted for lunar use.
Despite the criticism, Axiom Space CEO Jonathan Sartain remains confident, stating that the company plans to deliver a test-ready suit to NASA within this year and is working toward conducting space tests by 2027, with astronaut safety as the top priority.
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Experts agree that finalizing the spacesuit design is difficult until the lunar lander design is complete, since the suit must integrate seamlessly with the spacecraft systems. Kathleen Lewis, curator of space history at the Smithsonian Institution, notes that delays in spacesuit development are not unusual, as historically such work often occurs in the final stages of mission preparation. However, University of Chicago space historian Jordan Bimm highlights another concern, not only the suits but also the spacecraft designed to carry astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface is behind schedule.
The Office of Inspector General has advised NASA to seek input from other technology providers and develop a strategy to ensure the suits are compatible with multiple spacecraft systems. NASA has accepted this recommendation, emphasizing that astronaut safety remains its highest priority for future missions.
Source: scientificamerican.com
