Collins Aerospace is working with NASA to develop new space station suits. These suits are designed to provide better protection and flexibility for astronauts on long-duration missions.
The new suits will be made with advanced materials that are more durable and resistant to damage. This is crucial for astronauts who need to perform spacewalks and other tasks outside the space station.
One of the key features of the new suits is a new life support system that can recycle air and water more efficiently. This will help reduce the amount of resources needed for long-duration missions.
Collins Aerospace has a long history of working with NASA on space-related projects.
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Collins Aerospace and NASA
Collins Aerospace and NASA have a long history of collaboration, with the latest project being the development of a new spacewalking system for the International Space Station.
The task order, worth $97.2 million, is the second award under NASA's Exploration EVA Services contract, and Collins Aerospace will be responsible for the design, development, qualification, certification, and production of the new spacesuits and support equipment.
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Collins Aerospace will complete a critical design review and demonstrate use of the suit on Earth in a simulated space environment by January 2024. This is a significant milestone in the development process.
Lara Kearney, manager of the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, is excited about the partnership, stating that NASA looks forward to obtaining another much-needed service under their contract.
The new suit will support continued station maintenance and operations as NASA and its international partners continue to perform scientific research that benefits humanity and is crucial to future Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars.
Collins Aerospace will be competing with Axiom for future task orders, including recurring services for station spacewalks and moonwalks beyond Artemis III.
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NASA Develops New Space Station Spacesuits
NASA is working on a new spacesuit for the International Space Station, and Collins Aerospace is leading the charge. The company recently completed a key design milestone, a pressure garment system fit and functionality test in a microgravity-like environment.
Collins Aerospace will continue testing its spacesuit in a vacuum chamber and at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, a 40-foot deep pool that simulates a microgravity environment. The new suit is designed to advance NASA's spacewalking capabilities in low Earth orbit.
The suit is part of a $97.2 million contract that Collins Aerospace won to develop a spacewalking system for potential use outside the International Space Station. NASA plans to have the option to extend the contract for a demonstration with agency crew members outside the space station by April 2026.
Test Space Suit in Weightlessness
Collins Aerospace recently completed a key milestone in the development of a next-generation spacesuit for NASA by conducting a pressure garment system fit and functionality test in a microgravity-like environment.
The test was done aboard a commercial microgravity aircraft, which creates brief periods of weightlessness by performing roller-coaster-like maneuvers.
During these parabolic flights, the aircraft's pilot creates weightless conditions for around 20 seconds at a time, allowing engineers and scientists to test hardware and conduct scientific experiments in a space-like gravity environment.
This test was a key step in NASA's preliminary design review process, ensuring the design meets all system requirements before manufacturing of flight-ready units can begin.
Collins will continue testing its spacesuit in a vacuum chamber and at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, a 40-foot deep pool at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, which simulates a microgravity environment for astronaut spacewalk training.
The next-generation spacesuit is designed to advance NASA's spacewalking capabilities in low Earth orbit, supporting station maintenance and operations for scientific research that benefits humanity.
Backs Out of Spacesuit Contract
Collins Aerospace has backed out of its contract to develop new spacesuits for NASA. This decision was made after Collins recognized its development timeline wouldn't support the space station's schedule and NASA's mission objectives.
The contract was part of the xEVAS program, which saw awards to Collins and Axiom Space to develop up to four new spacesuit designs. Collins was to design suits for the ISS, but the development has been bumpy and behind schedule.
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NASA and Collins Aerospace mutually agreed to descope the existing task orders on the Collins Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services contract. This includes ending the International Space Station suit demonstration, which was targeted for 2026.
No further work will be performed on the task orders as a result of this agreement. It's unclear why Collins pulled out of the contract, but the company earlier reported good progress on its ISS suit design in zero G parabolic flight testing.
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Getting hired at Collins Aerospace is considered moderately challenging, with a difficulty rating of 2.69 out of 5. However, 75.7% of Glassdoor users reported a positive interview experience, suggesting that with preparation and the right skills, success is achievable.
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