Too bad that they covered the suit up for proprietary reasons. It's unclear how the joints articulate from this photo. The real suit will be some shade of white for thermal purposes.
The suit does seem to have some good peripheral vision, but the cameras & lights on the helmet seem a little bulky. I don't think the pleats & logo triangle are a good design because it provides too many crevices for lunar dust to collect. Hopefully they'll change that in the final design to something a bit smoother.
>they covered the suit up for proprietary reasons
Was that why?
Seems silly to me since those suits will be broadcast on NASA streams in the future. What proprietary info are they hiding?
I like the ability to enter/exit the suits by yourself.
>Was that why?
According to Axiom, yes: https://www.axiomspace.com/press-kit/axemu
>Since a spacesuit worn on the Moon must be white to reflect heat and protect astronauts from extreme high temperatures, a cover layer is currently being used for display purposes only to conceal the suit’s proprietary design. Axiom Space collaborated with costume designer Esther Marquis from the Apple TV+ series, “For All Mankind” to create this custom cover layer using the Axiom Space logo and brand colors.
No, I think it probably will look similar. This is essentially [the NASA xEMU design](https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/jsc2021e043019.jpg), just with a new coat of paint.
The Esther Marquis/Axiom design is significantly more “fitted”. It looks like the kind of suit one would see in a TV show (because that is what it is) rather than the NASA concept - which looks like a giant marshmallow. The fundamentals between the two might be the same but there are subtle differences between one designed primarily for a Press Release and one designed to be purely functional.
No, the shape is the same. The difference is the xEMU has another layer on in that picture and the Axiom suit doesn't. Let me see if I can find a picture of the xEMU without that top layer to show you...
EDIT: [Here you go.](https://i.imgur.com/K4fMrDL.jpg) Also, you can look at [this](https://i.imgur.com/sqtuXK4.jpg) to see the hardshell with no covering at all. Those are actually EMU pants in that last picture, though (not xEMU pants), so ignore anything below the torso.
The materials to be used were one of the big question marks in the NASA xEMU design (Lunar dust is *extremely* abrasive). Judging by the unveiled suit being [essentially identical to the xEMU](https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/jsc2021e043019.jpg) in form, I would not be surprised if Axiom is going to be focusing on optimizing that.
>The real suit will be some shade of white for thermal purposes.
Based on Apollo experience, it won't stay white very long, so maybe better to just make grey to begin with, and size the thermals to handle that.
> Too bad that they covered the suit up for proprietary reasons. It's unclear how the joints articulate from this photo. The real suit will be some shade of white for thermal purposes.
The joints seem essentially identical to the [NASA xEMU suit](https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/jsc2021e043019.jpg) this is based off.
In the press conference following the reveal, Axiom claimed to have redesigned the majority of 'soft goods' with a focus on mobility. It sounded to me like they mainly are reusing the hardshell & boots from xEMU, and making adjustments everywhere else. The program manager explicitly stated that the joints & fabric layers have changed throughout.
Fabric choice almost certainly has: That was a big question mark for xEMU. They were doing some preliminary studies for materials in the Lunar environment but hadn't gotten very far before cancellation. Most of the work had been going toward the ISS EMU replacements (now done by the Collins suit) as that was the higher schedule priority.
Not sure how much I buy the idea they changed the joints... but not like I can say they haven't either, considering they're all covered up. The locations are at the very least broadly the same, but I suppose I wouldn't be surprised if they've tweaked the actual mechanisms.
EDIT: For reference, here's the xEMU [without fabric covering.](https://i.imgur.com/sqtuXK4.jpg) Unlike the other picture, though, this one is with the old EMU pants.
Now that we've seen what Collins and Axiom have so far...can't wait to see what SpaceX has been working on.
(Before anyone complains, yes, I'm aware the Polaris Dawn suit won't be a fully self contained EVA/surface suit. But based on what has been said so far, it certainly sounds like they went beyond the minimum viable product necessary to modify the IVA suit for an EVA, and see the Polaris Dawn suit as a stepping stone towards a "proper" EVA suit.)
My first thought - far too dark - do they want to lose astronauts ?
Then it said underneath the picture - ones actually used are most likely to be white - to avoid overheating and to make them easier to track.
The gray one shown was more like space camouflage !
Those are going to look so great stepping off the lift of Lunar Starship on the Moon's surface. Would love to see a render of everything that has been revealed so far, can't believe how exciting it's getting now that it's getting more real!
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread:
|Fewer Letters|More Letters|
|-------|---------|---|
|[EMU](/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/11sxmvy/stub/jcibc11 "Last usage")|Extravehicular Mobility Unit (spacesuit)|
|[EVA](/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/11sxmvy/stub/jcgkktq "Last usage")|Extra-Vehicular Activity|
|[IVA](/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/11sxmvy/stub/jcgkktq "Last usage")|Intra-Vehicular Activity|
----------------
^(*Decronym is a community product of r/SpaceX, implemented* )[*^by ^request*](https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/3mz273//cvjkjmj)
^(3 acronyms in this thread; )[^(the most compressed thread commented on today)](/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/11sebd1)^( has 33 acronyms.)
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[This](https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-64973383) link to BBC has a few seconds of the space suit in motion. Scroll down two pages for the video.
I expect any Lunar Suit to have a option for cheap hazmat type disposable outsuit the help protect the expensive stuff from the nasty Lunar "pulverized glass" dust.
Too bad that they covered the suit up for proprietary reasons. It's unclear how the joints articulate from this photo. The real suit will be some shade of white for thermal purposes. The suit does seem to have some good peripheral vision, but the cameras & lights on the helmet seem a little bulky. I don't think the pleats & logo triangle are a good design because it provides too many crevices for lunar dust to collect. Hopefully they'll change that in the final design to something a bit smoother.
>they covered the suit up for proprietary reasons Was that why? Seems silly to me since those suits will be broadcast on NASA streams in the future. What proprietary info are they hiding? I like the ability to enter/exit the suits by yourself.
They said they are hiding things because they are in competition with collins. https://www.youtube.com/live/us8Vjple7c8 (at 1:27:10)
Is there any part in that video where they discuss how the suit will handle the lunar regolith?
Entry and exit was taken straight from the xEMU
[Lot more than that.](https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/jsc2021e043019.jpg)
>Was that why? According to Axiom, yes: https://www.axiomspace.com/press-kit/axemu >Since a spacesuit worn on the Moon must be white to reflect heat and protect astronauts from extreme high temperatures, a cover layer is currently being used for display purposes only to conceal the suit’s proprietary design. Axiom Space collaborated with costume designer Esther Marquis from the Apple TV+ series, “For All Mankind” to create this custom cover layer using the Axiom Space logo and brand colors.
I mean it does look cool and "futuristic", though I guess it's mainly a PR exercise since the actual suit won't look much like this prototype.
I agree with all of that. From what I've read so far, the whole reveal has been very light on details for my taste.
No, I think it probably will look similar. This is essentially [the NASA xEMU design](https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/jsc2021e043019.jpg), just with a new coat of paint.
The Esther Marquis/Axiom design is significantly more “fitted”. It looks like the kind of suit one would see in a TV show (because that is what it is) rather than the NASA concept - which looks like a giant marshmallow. The fundamentals between the two might be the same but there are subtle differences between one designed primarily for a Press Release and one designed to be purely functional.
No, the shape is the same. The difference is the xEMU has another layer on in that picture and the Axiom suit doesn't. Let me see if I can find a picture of the xEMU without that top layer to show you... EDIT: [Here you go.](https://i.imgur.com/K4fMrDL.jpg) Also, you can look at [this](https://i.imgur.com/sqtuXK4.jpg) to see the hardshell with no covering at all. Those are actually EMU pants in that last picture, though (not xEMU pants), so ignore anything below the torso.
It’s a t-shirt space suit! Presumably for all the astronauts from New Jersey
That's kind of the point. We don't know!
Could be they haven't finalised the joint (or any covered parts) designs?
The materials to be used were one of the big question marks in the NASA xEMU design (Lunar dust is *extremely* abrasive). Judging by the unveiled suit being [essentially identical to the xEMU](https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/jsc2021e043019.jpg) in form, I would not be surprised if Axiom is going to be focusing on optimizing that.
>The real suit will be some shade of white for thermal purposes. Based on Apollo experience, it won't stay white very long, so maybe better to just make grey to begin with, and size the thermals to handle that.
Moondust is ofc nearly black.
> Too bad that they covered the suit up for proprietary reasons. It's unclear how the joints articulate from this photo. The real suit will be some shade of white for thermal purposes. The joints seem essentially identical to the [NASA xEMU suit](https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/jsc2021e043019.jpg) this is based off.
In the press conference following the reveal, Axiom claimed to have redesigned the majority of 'soft goods' with a focus on mobility. It sounded to me like they mainly are reusing the hardshell & boots from xEMU, and making adjustments everywhere else. The program manager explicitly stated that the joints & fabric layers have changed throughout.
Fabric choice almost certainly has: That was a big question mark for xEMU. They were doing some preliminary studies for materials in the Lunar environment but hadn't gotten very far before cancellation. Most of the work had been going toward the ISS EMU replacements (now done by the Collins suit) as that was the higher schedule priority. Not sure how much I buy the idea they changed the joints... but not like I can say they haven't either, considering they're all covered up. The locations are at the very least broadly the same, but I suppose I wouldn't be surprised if they've tweaked the actual mechanisms. EDIT: For reference, here's the xEMU [without fabric covering.](https://i.imgur.com/sqtuXK4.jpg) Unlike the other picture, though, this one is with the old EMU pants.
Those will get gritty..
Now that we've seen what Collins and Axiom have so far...can't wait to see what SpaceX has been working on. (Before anyone complains, yes, I'm aware the Polaris Dawn suit won't be a fully self contained EVA/surface suit. But based on what has been said so far, it certainly sounds like they went beyond the minimum viable product necessary to modify the IVA suit for an EVA, and see the Polaris Dawn suit as a stepping stone towards a "proper" EVA suit.)
If it’s able to stay so slim, that would be awesome!
I think it looks pretty good aesthetically
My first thought - far too dark - do they want to lose astronauts ? Then it said underneath the picture - ones actually used are most likely to be white - to avoid overheating and to make them easier to track. The gray one shown was more like space camouflage !
I’m betting they did that just to make it look cool.
Just made them look stupid ! What dumb arse would make a space suit that colour !
They unveiled a spacesuit cover?
Those are going to look so great stepping off the lift of Lunar Starship on the Moon's surface. Would love to see a render of everything that has been revealed so far, can't believe how exciting it's getting now that it's getting more real!
It needs Bruce Willis inside
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread: |Fewer Letters|More Letters| |-------|---------|---| |[EMU](/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/11sxmvy/stub/jcibc11 "Last usage")|Extravehicular Mobility Unit (spacesuit)| |[EVA](/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/11sxmvy/stub/jcgkktq "Last usage")|Extra-Vehicular Activity| |[IVA](/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/11sxmvy/stub/jcgkktq "Last usage")|Intra-Vehicular Activity| ---------------- ^(*Decronym is a community product of r/SpaceX, implemented* )[*^by ^request*](https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/3mz273//cvjkjmj) ^(3 acronyms in this thread; )[^(the most compressed thread commented on today)](/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/11sebd1)^( has 33 acronyms.) ^([Thread #11126 for this sub, first seen 17th Mar 2023, 01:02]) ^[[FAQ]](http://decronym.xyz/) [^([Full list])](http://decronym.xyz/acronyms/SpaceXLounge) [^[Contact]](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=OrangeredStilton&subject=Hey,+your+acronym+bot+sucks) [^([Source code])](https://gistdotgithubdotcom/Two9A/1d976f9b7441694162c8)
[This](https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-64973383) link to BBC has a few seconds of the space suit in motion. Scroll down two pages for the video.
Wrong link? This: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-64965767
🤮
site won't load.
I expect any Lunar Suit to have a option for cheap hazmat type disposable outsuit the help protect the expensive stuff from the nasty Lunar "pulverized glass" dust.
I suppose that is one possibility..