NASA astronauts will venture to the coldest realms of the moon — the dark craters of the lunar south pole.
"Some deep craters haven’t seen the light of day for billions of years,Sex in the Game (2017) so temperatures there can dip to minus 334 Fahrenheit," the space agency said. "That’s nearly three times colder than the lowest temperature recorded in Antarctica."
They'll have new moon suits — a significant upgrade from the Apollo suits of over a half-century ago — to insulate them from these extremes. The suits have just been unveiled by their makers, Axiom Space and the luxury designer Prada, revealing a high-tech lunar uniform.
"Pleased to apply my expertise of being in space to the testing and design process of Prada!" Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut (who spent 675 daysin space), posted online.
The suits were revealed at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy, on Oct. 16.
Called the "Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU)" spacesuit, astronauts will first don them during NASA's Artemis III mission, which is currently slated for September 2026. These astronauts will spend about a week exploring and collecting samples in the freezing south pole craters because of the invaluable resource preserved there: frozen water. The space agency recently detected this ice in extremely frigid craters just beyond the south pole region, too.
"New findings from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter reveal that lunar ice deposits are more widespread than we thought, even beyond the south pole’s shadowed regions!" Nicky Fox, who heads NASA's Science Mission Directorate, posted online. "These icy deposits could contain vital resources for future explorers, including water for radiation protection, air, energy, and even rocket fuel!"
"These icy deposits could contain vital resources for future explorers, including water for radiation protection, air, energy, and even rocket fuel!"
The suits, shown below, will allow astronauts to "endure the coldest temperatures in the permanently shadowed regions for at least two hours," Axiom Space said in a release. (The 25-layer Apollo spacesuits were rated to -250 F, which was sufficient for the moon's equatorial regions.) What's more, the new suits, which are designed to be "evolvable" and accommodate nearly all body sizes, will allow astronauts to make eight-hour spacewalks.
The new spacesuit is still in its final developmental stages, Axiom said, but it has already undergone some important tests. "Testing was conducted underwater to simulate the lunar environment with an unoccupied spacesuit at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) and reduced gravity simulations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center," the company noted. On the moon, the suits must also contend with 130 F temperatures on crater rims, and "razor-sharp" lunar dust.
This is a major NASA project. The space agency awarded Axiom (it has since subcontracted with design experts Prada) a $1.26 billion contract, of which $228 million has been provided for the initial design and development. But the cost is still a relative pittance compared to the financial burden of the greater Artemis mission. The first four launches of NASA's new moon-bound megarocket — the Space Launch System — will cost $4.1 billionper launch, according to the agency's inspector general.
No one said the new space race, which intends to establish a permanent presence on the moon, would be cheap.
Topics NASA
Google's cofounders are no longer running AlphabetBarbra Streisand doesn't need people, she needs pancakesCalifornia atmospheric rivers to intensify, make billionElon Musk reportedly wanted to buy 'justballs.com' because of courseThe cast of 'Harry Potter' have a WhatsApp group and it sounds simply magicalChina releases surprisingly progressive sex education textbook supporting sameThailand's red taxis are taking the petty route to drive Uber and Grab out of townGiving Tuesday campaigns that help you give backThe hat for Elon Musk's 'Boring Company' is predictably boringChina releases surprisingly progressive sex education textbook supporting same13 mildly sassy outThe reasons why social media can make you feel both magical and miserableInternet quickly turns GOP's Obamacare replacement plan into a memeTwitter forgets dead people, suspends plan to delete inactive accountsFrom Hermes to Montblanc: A guide to the fanciest smartwatches of 2019Apple unveils the most popular iPhone apps of 2019Even in the White House, Trump can't escape Hillary ClintonGiving Tuesday campaigns that help you give backSomeone like boo: Adele confirms she's put a ring on it while discussing #feelsThe 'Black Widow' teaser is here and it's 2 minutes of extreme intensity The Whisk Wiper is here to finally clean your messy whisks You wouldn't want to mess with this seriously ripped kangaroo The best proposed emoji we might see in the future An honest review of the most boring version of the new MacBook Pro Apple thinks you'll eventually love its MacBook Pro Yelping puppy pulled from earthquake rubble after 2 days Hey Samsung Galaxy Note7 users, LG's V20 is worth a look This 'Stranger Things' jack Miss Piggy now has a fabulous fashion line Surpise huntsman spider causes man to freak out, crashing car into a lake Amazon wants to get kids reading through an app that looks like texting China climate chief to Trump: Keep the U.S. part of Paris Agreement Hawaii's bees are now protected under U.S. Endangered Species Act Brexit is so complicated, even Stephen Hawking won't touch it Jamaica vs. Guatemala 2025 livestream: Watch Concacaf Gold Cup for free David Attenborough jokes about shooting Donald Trump Joe Biden can't wait to show Obama his "I Voted" Sticker New antenna joins NASA's deep space network to support Mars mission Harry Potter Yoga just might be better than Quidditch First College Football Playoff rankings immediately deliver argument fodder
3.1598s , 10137.59375 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Sex in the Game (2017)】,New Knowledge Information Network