NASA is one step closer to dressing its next generation of Moonwalkers. The agency has announced that the next-generation spacesuit designed for the Artemis III mission, known as the AxEMU (Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit), has successfully passed a critical internal technical review conducted by its developer, Axiom Space.
This milestone marks significant progress in preparing to send humans to explore the lunar South Pole for the first time. With the contractor-led review complete, NASA will now conduct its own rigorous evaluation—a Critical Design Sync Review—to verify that the suit’s design, hardware, and life-support systems are ready for final testing and, ultimately, lunar delivery.
Engineered for the harsh environment of the Moon’s South Pole, the AxEMU is designed to offer astronauts greater flexibility and mobility than its predecessors. This enhanced range of motion is crucial for scientific discovery, allowing crew members to bend, squat, and collect geology samples with improved ease. The suit also features a broader range of sizing options to accommodate a more diverse set of crew members and incorporates advanced life-support systems to protect against the extreme temperatures and radiation of space.
While the design work continues, so does the physical testing. NASA and Axiom Space have already logged over 850 hours of pressurized testing with humans inside the suit. To simulate the reduced gravity of the Moon—which is one-sixth of Earth’s—teams have been utilizing unique facilities at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
In the agency’s 40-foot-deep Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, weighted versions of the AxEMU were submerged to mimic lunar gravity, allowing astronauts and engineers to practice tasks and assess the suit’s mobility underwater. Concurrently, testing is underway in the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) facility. There, an overhead crane system lifts the suited test subjects, creating a simulated low-gravity environment where they can practice walking and performing tasks on a simulated lunar surface. These tests help engineers understand how different suit pressures affect mobility and fatigue, ultimately aiming to maximize the time astronauts can spend exploring.
“The completion of their internal review brings Axiom Space one step closer to delivering a next-generation lunar spacesuit,” said Lara Kearney, who manages the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program at NASA Johnson. She emphasized that the achievement reflects a shared commitment to safety and capability.
Safety remains the cornerstone of the Artemis campaign. NASA has leveraged over 50 years of spacesuit expertise to define the stringent technical standards for the AxEMU. As development progresses, the agency will continue to verify every system to ensure risks to crew members are understood and minimized.
With the technical review complete, Axiom Space has begun receiving components for the first flight unit, which is slated for assembly this spring. These new suits, alongside advanced landers and rovers, are essential to NASA’s vision of establishing a sustainable lunar presence and using those lessons to prepare for future human missions to Mars.
