NASA’s next-gen spacesuit passes microgravity test

Collins Aerospace, tasked by NASA to design spacesuits for spacewalks outside the ISS, has hit a major milestone.

Their spacesuit design successfully passed a test in microgravity aboard a commercial flight, proving it works well in weightless conditions. This achievement brings engineers closer to the critical design review phase.

NASA handed over the spacesuit design job to Collins Aerospace in 2022 after trying for 15 years to develop new suits themselves. This new suit is lighter and more compact than the current ones used by NASA astronauts. It can also be adjusted easily to fit different body types and mission needs.

During the recent test, the suit was put through various maneuvers on a plane to mimic weightlessness. Astronauts wearing the prototype suit were filmed navigating through doors and moving around in zero-G, showing that the suit allows for easy movement in space.

Next, the suit will face tests in a vacuum chamber to see how it holds up in space-like conditions. It will also undergo underwater testing at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab to simulate microgravity for spacewalk training.