Microsoft · Starlink · Artemis Program · SpaceX · The Register
In a report [PDF] published on Monday, the Inspector General points out that NASA kicked off its quest for next-gen
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NASA allocated $3.1 billion to the contracts and selected Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace to work on the project.
Key facts
- NASA allocated $3.1 billion to the contracts and selected Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace to work on the project
- That’s bad because NASA’s plans call for a moon landing in 2028, while the ISS will end its mission in 2030
- Those plans currently call for 2027’s Artemis III to test docking in space, and for 2028’s Artemis IV mission to land astronauts on the Moon
- The NASA Office of Inspector General, the aerospace agency’s auditor, fears that work on next-generation spacesuits won’t finish in time to use them for the planned Artemis III Moon landing mission
Summary
The NASA Office of Inspector General, the aerospace agency’s auditor, fears that work on next-generation spacesuits won’t finish in time to use them for the planned Artemis III Moon landing mission in 2028. In a report published on Monday, the Inspector General points out that NASA kicked off its quest for next-gen spacesuits with 2022’s Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) program, which called for private suppliers to develop two suits: one to handle microgravity at the International Space Station (ISS) and another to wear on the moon. The report says NASA’s delivery dates “were overly optimistic and ultimately proved unachievable” and warns that past experience of spacesuit development suggests Axiom Space won’t have even demo suits ready before 2031. That’s bad because NASA’s plans call for a moon landing in 2028, while the ISS will end its mission in 2030.