On 7 April in 1983, American astronauts Don Peterson and Story Musgrave bravely stepped out of the space shuttle Challenger, the first time US space explorers had conducted a spacewalk in nearly a decade.
For about four hours, the men floated in the shuttle’s exterior cargo bay while tethered to the spacecraft.
What they were wearing, at the time, represented a revolutionary departure from the custom-built, one-off spacesuits of the past.
Officially known as Extravehicular Mobility Units, or EMUs, these were two-piece, semi-rigid suits with 14 layers, designed to protect astronauts during extravehicular activity (EVA).
The suits included everything from communications gear to adult nappies and an in-suit drink bag.
Since that day in 1983, little has changed in the spacesuit fashion stakes.
The space agency’s efforts to develop new improved spacesuits have had limited success. Nasa has already spent $420m (£310m) over 14 years without any significant progress, according to a report published this year from Nasa’s inspector general.
“A flight-ready suit remains years away from completion,” the report notes, adding that Nasa officials expect to spend a further $1bn (£740m) on design, testing, qualification and development efforts before two flight-ready suits are available for use.
The delay to spacesuits is likely to hold up Artemis, Nasa’s programme to return to the Moon in 2024, the report adds.
In September, Nasa’s Johnson Space Center called for private sector proposals for the new suits. They would be used for spacewalks on the International Space Station (ISS) and during future Artemis missions to the surface of the moon.
“Our undertakings in low-earth orbit, at the Moon and beyond, have evolved and are calling for innovative technology,” Nasa deputy administrator Pam Melroy said in a statement.
“The next astronauts on the moon, including the first woman, will be kept safe in revolutionary spacesuits that fit better and enable greater human exploration than ever before.”
Nasa wants industry help to build its new Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) and the Orion Crew Survival System.
The xEMU will mainly be for planetary spacewalks on the Moon, Mars and perhaps other bodies like asteroids, though it is planned to be modified for in-flight spacewalks.
It will have improved joints to give the astronaut more mobility, a new communications system and will have a rear-entry hatch.
The design will also be able to better fit astronauts of all sizes. In the past Nasa had problems finding spacesuits for smaller female astronauts.
The Orion suit is the suit crew will wear inside the spacecraft during launch and the return to Earth.
Proposals for the new suits are due on 1 December, with one or more contracts expected to be awarded by the following spring. Nasa plans a demonstration spacewalk with their newly developed gear as early as 2023.
“Nasa’s investment in commercial spacesuits is another way that we are fostering a new lunar economy with private partners,” Ms Melroy’s statement added. “Similar to our partnerships in low-earth orbit, this endeavour will create jobs and help fuel an active economy at the Moon.”
Tesla boss Elon Musk was quick to offer his help, tweeting that his company, SpaceX, “could do it if need be”.
Source – BBC
