Collins Aerospace's spacesuit for NASA passes crucial microgravity test
Collins Aerospace, a private firm working with NASA, has made progress in developing new spacesuits for astronauts working outside the International Space Station (ISS). Collins has now successfully tested its suit on a commercial microgravity flight, marking a crucial step toward its final design. After 15 years of trying to create new suits in-house, NASA outsourced the task to the firm in 2022.
Suit features and testing process
The new spacesuit by Collins Aerospace, is lighter and more compact than the current "enhanced" Extravehicular Mobility Units used by NASA astronauts. It can be easily adapted for various missions and fits a broader range of body types compared to older, outdated designs. During the test, the plane performed roller-coaster-like maneuvers to simulate weightlessness, allowing the wearer to evaluate the suit's performance in zero-gravity conditions.
Future tests and applications
Collins has more tests planned, including placing the suit within a vacuum chamber, to assess its performance in space-like conditions. Another test will take place 40 feet underwater at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Texas, US, simulating microgravity for spacewalk training. Completing these tests will bring the spacesuit one step closer to being used by astronauts on future missions outside the ISS.
The suit will ensure better spacewalks in LEO
Collins Aerospace's next-generation spacesuit is being designed to improve NASA's spacewalking prowess in low Earth orbit (LEO). The suit will aid in supporting "station maintenance and operations." Meanwhile, NASA and its international partners like ESA and the CSA, will continue to carry out scientific research, and "demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic missions."