NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- NASA introduced their next-generation spacesuits for Artemis missions on Tuesday at media event was held at its Washington headquarters.
Spacesuit engineer Kristine Davis demonstrated the improved mobility in the new suit, important for working on the Moon's surface.
The spacesuits will be worn by the first woman and next man to explore the Moon in 2024.
During the demo, the upgrades were demonstrated as well as a two new suit prototypes, in which one of ths suits, known as the Orion Crew Survival System, will be used for launch and re-entry, and the second, called xEMU for Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit will be worn for exploring the lunar South Pole.
According to NASA, the xEMU is designed to outperform spacesuits worn during the Apollo era, and also the ones currently worn during spacewalks outside the International Space Station.
They will also accommodate more sizes and provide more comfort and mobility. Bearings now replace zippers for more mobility in the pressurized suits.
"You won't see the bunny hopping and falls like those seen in the Apollo videos, because we've added bearings and new soft elements to help the suit move smoothly with the wearer," Marshall Smith, director of NASA's human lunar exploration program, said in a statement. "With the improvements to the suits for Artemis missions, astronauts can now open up new possibilities for science and exploration at the moon."
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