The Artemis suit design process is so disappointing. NASA should have thrown more resources at xEMMU, not tried to completely subcontract and fixed price something witout any commercial market.

At first glance, the design looks similar to the Apollo lunar suits.

Let’s hope Axiom Space comes through with their suits for NASA. China doesn’t seem like they’re faffing about with their lunar program.

The exterior design? So, the least important bit?

Still ahead of NASA though, unfortunately, who only have the shuttle bus to lunar orbit working…

Awesome, thanks for sharing this news with us!

Promotional Video: China Unveils Moon-Landing Spacesuit for First Time [01:54 | SEP 28 2024 | CCTV Video News Agency] https://youtu.be/UUH5YyRPPXE

The suit is being developed as one element of China’s goal of landing astronauts on the moon before 2030. China is also currently working on a new human-rated launcher, the Long March 10, a deep space crew spacecraft and a crew lander for the mission. A crew rover is also being designed.

The suit is described as having a comprehensively protective fabric that shields against the harsh thermal environment and lunar dust. The helmet features a panoramic, anti-glare visor. The helmet also carries separate long and short focal length cameras. A multi-functional integrated control console is on the chest.

The suit also carries elements of Chinese culture. The red stripes on its upper sections are inspired by ribbons from the famous “flying apsaras” of Dunhuang art. The overall design of the lunar suit was stated to draw on the style of traditional Chinese armor.

“The suit allows for more actions. So in various postures, the fitness shouldn’t be affected after a posture change. Therefore it requires a better fit on the human body,” Wang Chunhui, deputy chief designer of the astronauts training systems at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, told China Central Television (CCTV).

“Considering that they are working under one-sixth gravity, in order to reduce the metabolic load of the human body, it is a must to greatly reduce the suit’s weight,” Wang said. “As astronauts will walk on the lunar surface and carry out scientific research activities, the spacesuits must have better ergonomic support capabilities, and be smaller and more integrated,” he added.

China’s crewed landing plan is for two astronauts to make a short, roughly six-hour-duration stay on the lunar surface. However, the mission is part of a longer-term lunar exploration effort.

The country will send robotic missions to the lunar south pole in 2026 and 2028 for resource surveys and in-situ resource utilization tests as a precursor to a moon base. The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) is to be built in the 2030s. It will eventually be capable of hosting short term human stays.

The Artemis 3 crewed landing mission is currently scheduled for no earlier than September 2026. However, the agency’s own analysis suggests potential significant delays for the Artemis 3 lunar lander.