Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, have secured task orders to develop spacewalking and moonwalking suits for NASA’s space and lunar exploration missions.
Both vendors will begin design modification work on their respective spacesuit offerings for NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services program in support of deep space exploration and low Earth orbit-centric activities, NASA said Tuesday.
Collins Aerospace will develop and demonstrate a next-generation astronaut spacesuit in microgravity outside the International Space Station and begin early assessments for extending the spacewalking system for use on the lunar surface.
Axiom Space, on the other hand, will test its spacesuit in partial gravity on the lunar surface during Artemis III and evaluate its potential use outside the ISS.
The task orders are each valued at $5 million.
In June 2022, NASA awarded Collins Aerospace and Axiom Space spots on a potential 12-year, $3.5 billion xEVAS spacesuit development contract.