NASA’s Next-Generation Spacesuits — A Behind-The-Scenes Look

NASA has been using the current spacesuits on the International Space Station for decades and they are showing their age. The agency has had issues not only with finding the proper sizes to fit its increasingly diverse astronaut corps, but also with degradation of some suit components. Now NASA is turning to two commercial companies: Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, to build and maintain its new generation of spacesuits. Under the Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services Contract, or xEVAS, NASA is providing Collins and Axiom, along with a number of their industry partners, with up to $3.5 billion through 2034. CNBC got a behind-the-scenes look at the new suit that Collins Aerospace is designing in collaboration with partners ILC Dover and Oceaneering. NASA hopes to use this new suit on the International Space Station by 2026.

Chapters:
00:00 — Intro
02:39 — Dire need
08:00 — The Collins suit
12:48 — Future missions

Produced by: Magdalena Petrova
Supervising Producer: Jeniece Pettitt
Graphics: Christina Locopo, Mallory Brangan
Additional Camera: Andrew Evers
Post-production Support: Katie Tarasov, Erin Black

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NASA’s Next-Generation Spacesuits — A Behind-The-Scenes Look

[calebmahoney]

I know it sounds silly, but I think it’s important for the space suits to look cool and inspiring. Those suits from the 70s are so iconic and have a real life super hero aesthetic. As a kid I remember seeing those suits and being blown away. I hope the new suits have that same effect on younger generations.

[ipkulkarni]

Worked for Collins Aerospace for 14 years… feeling proud to see the name on the suit

[wirelesmike]

As impressive as the space vehicles are, it amazes me that the suits don't get the public attention that they deserve. The amount of engineering and jewel-like precision in fabrication required to make so many parts work seamlessly and reliably together in such a small package is genuinely mindblowing and has fascinated me since I was a kid.

Edit: It's disheartening to read some of the absurd replies to this comment. So few people understand how much the R&D from NASA projects, (including suit tech) has benefited them and the rest of society as a whole. And, anybody who believes that the earth is flat, or that we never went to space or the moon shouldn't even be using the technological devices that enable them to post such ignorant garbage on the internet, because according to you, the science that makes that possible isn't real.
I'd blame the education system, except for the fact that I learned from that same system, and I didn't turn out to be a dimwitted imbecile who can't understand simple concepts like "funding for the development of a new space suit design isn't all spent on making one individual suit".

It's really sad that expressing interest in technological development triggers such unwarranted hate and distrust in people, half of which likely wouldn't even be alive today if it weren't for the discoveries and advances in practically every aspect of modern development that derived directly from the publically funded R&D conducted by NASA and fellow aerospace centers, here, and around the world.

To all of you out there who share my appreciation for these kinds of achievements and collaborations, I thank you for all the "likes".🚀❤🤍💙🤓

To all the needlessly obsessed, tin-foil hat-wearing detractors, science deniers, and NASA haters out there, don't bother replying. I'll not be engaging with such idiocy any further. You are a huge part of what's wrong with the world today. You are part of the problem. Enough is enough, I'm turning my notifications off. Congratulations, you just succeeded in ruining one more thing in the world.
Have fun living your lives in fear and ignorance. I pity your children.

[garygullikson]

Modern suits look a lot less bulky and awkward than Apollo era suits. Amazing that they can provide safe life support in near vacuum including temperature control, oxygen, communication, and reasonable comfort.

[frankdatank]

Interesting I thought I read a few years back how nasa is no longer a fan of suits that connect at the hip with the ring thing because of added weight and complexity and instead preferred the Apollo and Russian style with zipper in back. The article mentioned they were looking back at those but also those the astronaut climbs in at the back right behind the life support system/pack like the nasa made prototype shown in this very video. So it’s interesting to see the collins suit is the current hip ring shuttle type.

[benmcreynolds]

I really like the Collins design the most by far. This stuff is facinating. I wish we had more things that would focus on the amazing aspects of these space suits. Material science & engineering advancements alongside technology is probably helping improve this field of research and design so much

[attilaabonyi]

Not to discredit the engineers and scientists but how many more variations is it gonna take before your happy with the design?
You have been working on this since like 2000's to 2010's is it not good enough already?

[TyTyMcGinty]

NASA makes the suit for 4 mill. 3.5 billion is the Nordstrom markup.

[planetsec]

This was so cool! More videos like this please, of everything new and exciting happening in space and lunar exploration. I can't wait to see Axiom's lunar spacesuit design. It was a very weird choice for NASA to go with Axiom for lunar spacesuits when Collins/ILC are the companies that make the Apollo spacesuits while Axiom is new and focused on private space tourism and their own private space station, so why are they designing the lunar spacesuits not the ISS replacement suits? Weird decisions from NASA I hope they're the right ones.

[dansands]

3.5 billion dollars is how much SpaceX is paying to develop the entire Starship program.

[xeflatio]

Space suits are basically space ships with a human shape, it's amaizing

[jeremysart]

Great to see Collins and Axiom pulling through. Imagine going to space only to almost be drowned by a failing space suit 😱

[Joker-ywhl]

The original suits are iconic but these new ones are long overdue

[donkeyballs]

Spending $3.5 billion on space suits is kinda like buying a shirt that costs more than a brand-new Mercedes

[KBSINN]

Very interesting thank you for covering this area .

[dkking]

The guy taking about making a machine to make spacesuits very creative that’s what we need creative thinking

[Penultimeat]

Once we get some of these specific parts made, it’s gonna be much easier to adapt these suits to more complex missions.

[lazarusblackwell]

Where is the OSD (On Screen Display) on the helmet?

Dont you think it would be way cooler if the helmet had a digital display?

[mudman]

Getting to test out spacesuits would be a fantastic job!!!

[shmookins]

18000 components for the current suit? Jesus!
I had no idea it was this complicated. Also, I thought it was just one space suit for anything in space; space walks, moon walks, or Mars walks.