Order value
The order is valued at $228.5 million. Thus, making Axiom Space an integral part of NASA’s highly ambitious plans to make Americans land on the Moon for the first time after 50 years.
About the mission
The Artemis mission would take about a year to complete involving several phases of space exploration. It would also land the first woman and person of color on the Earth’s satellite. Also read: Three Companies Will Assist NASA in Advancing Solar Array Technology for the Moon
Axiom Space specialty spacesuit design
Axiom suits are special for various reasons. Firstly, it would be designed in a particular way to help astronauts explore more places than ever before on the lunar surface. The design would accommodate different crew members. Moreover, they will be equipped with specialized mechanisms and tools to explore and perform other scientific endeavors. The design would include pressure garments, avionics, and life support. “Our modernized, evolvable spacesuits will enable rapid upgrades to implement better, safer technologies over time, ensuring our astronauts are always equipped with high-performing, robust equipment,” said Michael Suffredini, Axiom CEO. He further added in the statement, “We look forward to providing our space pioneers with advanced tools needed to further humanity’s permanent expansion off the planet.”
NASA’s choice finalized
NASA finalized two companies as its spacesuit vendors earlier this year- Collins Aerospace and Axiom Space. Under the xEVAS or Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services contract, both these companies will contest to offer spacewalking products for various missions and task orders till 2034. The contract has the combined potential value of a whopping $3.5 billion for all task orders. Watch this YouTube video for more information:
What to expect?
Both Collings Aerospace and Axiom Space stated earlier this year that they are expecting to demonstrate their spacesuits around the year 2025. It seems NASA’s partnership with these companies is also an important part of its efforts to endorse the growing commercial space economy. Both Collings Aerospace and Axiom Space would own the spacesuits they design and offer them as a service coupled with other spacewalking products.
