Houston-based Axiom Space has been granted a significant task order by NASA to modify its Artemis 3 lunar spacesuit design for International Space Station’s spacewalking capabilities.
This task order, with an initial commitment of $5 million and a potential value of $142 million over four years, marks the second spacesuit contract awarded to Axiom Space by NASA. The first contract, worth $228 million, was awarded in 2022 to develop lunar spacesuits for the Artemis 3 mission.
Collins Aerospace, also awarded a contract to build ISS spacesuits last year, was given a similar task order for lunar suits. The initial value is the same, according to NASA.
“These task orders position NASA for success should additional capabilities become necessary or advantageous to NASA’s missions as the agency paves the way for deep space exploration and commercialization of low Earth orbit,” Lara Kearney, manager of the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, said in a July 10, 2023, a news release. “Using this competitive approach we will enhance redundancy, expand future capabilities, and further invest in the space economy.”
The new task order allows Axiom Space to utilize a single foundational architecture to concurrently design spacesuits for both the ISS and lunar surface.
Axiom Space is currently working on the low Earth orbit, LEO, spacesuit effort, which is intended for use on its forthcoming commercial space station, Axiom Station, designed to cater to the next generation of private space explorers.
“We are excited to add our orbital spacesuits as an option for NASA,” said Mark Greeley, Axiom Space extravehicular activity program manager, in a company statement. “The team is truly humbled to be a provider of spacesuits for the NASA Artemis missions and now a developer of spacesuits for future ISS missions. Aligning our spacesuit architecture for commercial LEO, lunar, and ISS is proving to be of great benefit in terms of streamlining designs and continuing to deliver the best value to NASA, while serving our future commercial astronauts on Axiom Station by the end of the decade.”
Similar to the Artemis 3 spacesuit, the Axiom Space ISS suit will be designed to accommodate various crew members, offering enhanced flexibility and specialized tools. Its features will include life support systems, pressure garments, power avionics, and communication capabilities.
In addition to providing design, certification, and hardware, the Axiom Space team will support EVA systems training and real-time operations for NASA.
Russell Ralston, Axiom Space EVA deputy program manager, highlighted the significance of astronauts wearing Axiom Space spacesuits during EVAs outside the ISS. The suit development pays homage to the efforts of past NASA spacesuit contributors and those currently working on NASA’s future spacesuit technologies.
Both spacesuit task orders awarded to Axiom Space fall within NASA’s Extravehicular Activity Services or xEVAS contract, enabling the company to compete for contracts fulfilling NASA’s spacewalking requirements until 2034.
The xEVAS contract, based on milestones, holds a combined maximum potential value of $3.5 billion for all task order awards.
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