NASA on Tuesday unveiled two new next-generation spacesuits for the future mission to the Moon.
The suit for the planned landing at the lunar south pole is called the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU). NASA says the suit is a bit like a spaceship in the way it protects astronauts. It’s red, white and blue.
The other suit is orange and called the Orion Crew Survival System. That one will be worn during launch and later during re-entry in the Orion spacecraft. The suit provides thermal protection for the astronauts.
NASA says these new suits improve on the technology used in the Apollo suits as well as those currently used by astronauts on the International Space Station.
Humans haven't landed on the moon since 1972, and NASA's Artemis program is aiming to put the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024.
Introducing our next-generation spacesuit for #Artemis missions! Here, spacesuit engineer Kristine Davis demonstrates the improved mobility in the new suit, important for working on the Moon's surface. Watch live: https://t.co/n8wWhy876P pic.twitter.com/9g6sfOaPbf
— NASA (@NASA) October 15, 2019