Space missions: Why astronaut suits need an upgrade – 2024-03-09 06:21:38

Since the 1960s, the first astronauts wore suits designed to protect them in the harsh space environment.

However, the mission Polaris Dawnwhich will include the first spacewalk organized by a private company, specifically the SpaceX by Elon Musk, has been delayed due to complications in the design and development of the appropriate space suit.

The suits are also one of the key components of NASA’s Artemis lunar program, which have yet to be delivered. A related report, published in November 2023, said the suit maker needs to review aspects of the design provided by NASA, which could cause delays, according to the Conversation.

Much has changed since mankind planted flags on the Moon. Spacesuits are no longer just a form of protection. On the contrary, they are an important factor in improving the productivity of astronauts. This includes a rethinking of not only the suits themselves, but also the technology behind them.

A range of powerful technologies such as telecommunications to connect astronauts to space stations, multi-sensory cameras, temperature reading devices are embedded in today’s spacesuits.

Situational awareness, understanding key elements in the environment, such as an astronaut’s health, is a key tenet of modern spacesuit design. The suit’s ability to monitor the astronaut’s heart rate and other vital signs is critical for space travel, where the crew’s oxygen levels need constant monitoring.

In fact, the level of investment needed to produce a space suit requires that the suit can be used for future tasks, which may even include building a settlement on the moon in the coming decades.

Very important for the construction of a space suit is also its weight. Before the advent of modern spacesuits, Apollo astronauts could not perform missions with great ease. When they drilled into the surface of the Moon with a hand-held drill to collect samples, they had trouble exerting enough downward force against gravity. It was only after the invention of a zero-gravity drill, decades later, that the problem was addressed.

Working with robots

Having robots perform tasks previously performed by humans is one of the goals of future space exploration. It’s also a way engineers will be able to improve the mobility of astronauts in spacesuits.

For example, when an astronaut on a spacewalk goes to inspect the condition of a part of the space station and make possible repairs, he is supported by a robotic arm that ensures he is not “lost” in space. This arm is rigid and can limit an astronaut’s movement.

One approach currently being explored to extend this range of motion is to build a climbing robot, attached to both the astronaut and the space station, that can be controlled through the astronaut’s space suit. This would allow the astronaut to move around the space station faster and with a greater range of motion than before, with better access to hard-to-reach areas.

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