NSDS Spacesuit Project

Close-ups of the Worm:

The UTTB also served to validate new construction techniques and materials, namely heat-welded TPU-coated nylon, which was also used as a single-wall-laminate (that is, the TPU nylon served as both bladder and restraint layer) in the core regions and in the arm test article.

Photos from MPT-3, which took place on 3 April 2026. This test used the Upper Torso Test Bed (UTTB, aka the "Worm") to evaluate an arm assembly (seen installed on the right side; the left arm was just a "temp" arm).

Some photos from MPT-2, 7 March 2026, which evaluated the STOAT-type IEVA suit prototype.

The design target for the rear-hatch entry on the #AxEMU suit enables a more simplified donning experience. Astronauts performing lunar spacewalks will have to contend not only with limited space but also limited EVA timeframes. The rear-entry suit approach helps eliminate the complex, multi-piece assembly of legacy suits and minimize the need for crew assistance in the tight confines of a lunar vehicle or habitat.

Building a spacesuit that can protect against the temperatures of the Moon's south pole is an incredible challenge. The extremely cold temperatures are incompatible with humans (NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has measured temperatures lower than -410°F) so extra thought has to go into every detail of the suit. The sole of the boots, in particular, pose a significant engineering challenge: maintaining direct contact with a surface potentially as cold as -410°F while keeping the astronaut's feet warm, flexible, and functional.

The #AxEMU provides mobility never seen before. Building on the legacy of the Apollo-era spacesuits, the AxEMU is built to equip the Artemis III astronauts with better flexibility and increased safety, allowing further discovery on the lunar surface and exploration of the Moon’s south pole for the first time. Learn more about how the #AxEMU is the spacesuit of the future: axiomspace.com/axiom-suit.

The completed cover layer installed onto NSDS-3's restraint layer assembly. This garment conceals the mobility elements of the upper torso and arms, as well as covering the waist closure.

The restraint layer assembly of NSDS-3. The majority of this was completed early last month. The upper torso and shoulder convolutes were recently reworked for a better fit.

The same joint was tested at 5 psi, which resulted in an average torque of about 4.45 Nm. Pushing with your whole arm, it would take about 1.5 pounds of force to budge the joint. Such a force is easily exerted, but may become tiring if the same motion is repeated frequently.

Due to friction between the sliding restraint (here, a Spectra cord) and the metal tube, the joint has little noticeable return force. Instead, the joint exhibits resistance when sliding back and forth. This force remains constant throughout the majority of the range of motion.

What is the torque of a turnaround? While largely an obsolete mobility element by today's standards, turnarounds as a part of sliding restraint joints were considered state of the art during the early Apollo era. The joint pictured exhibited an average torque of 2.59 Nm at 4psi.

Rubber bladder layer for NSDS-3

Axiom Space and @KBRincorporated successfully completed the first uncrewed thermal vacuum test of the spacesuit that will be worn when astronauts return to the moon. The test simulated the vacuum and extreme temperatures of space to evaluate the spacesuit’s thermal performance and advanced materials. #AxEMU axiomspace.com/release/axemu-…

A bit more info on the EuroSuit project - europeanspaceflight.com/european-space…

This soft helmet has the restraint layer and bladder sewn together, then sewn to the pressure zipper, which serves as the means of opening the visor. The visor+frame is then hand sewn to the rest of the assembly. I hated this step very much, so I will never try this design again.

Integrated helmet assembly for NSDS-3.

I think the EuroSuit looks incredible. I can't wait to see @Soph_astro rocking it next year. And here's hoping that in the not-so-distant future, we'll see a whole crew of European astronauts aboard a European capsule launched from a European spaceport aboard a European rocket.

Leg and lower torso assembly for restraint layer of NSDS-3

The development of NSDS-3, which is ideally coming to a close within the next few weeks, has introduced many new technologies into our design arsenal, including new closure types, bladder technology, and novel mobility joints.

Here is a (outdated) sneak peak of this new suit, which will be a model of IVA suit. The past three months has seen probably the most aggressive push to iterate and resolve design problems focusing on a user-ready product. This includes both the functionality and user interface.

A quick update on this project, since there hasn't been a meaningful post in a while. NSDS-2, which was slated for completion and testing some time in late July 2025, was put on hold in order to reassign resources to NSDS-3, the development of which began in response to a RFP.