spacesuitNASAs

NASA spacesuits are specialized garments and equipment designed to enable human activity in space, including extravehicular (outside the spacecraft) operations and internal crewed missions. They provide life support, maintain atmospheric pressure, regulate temperature, protect against micrometeoroids and radiation, and allow for mobility and communication in vacuum environments.

Historically, NASA developed several generations of suits for different programs. Early Mercury and Gemini suits were built to support short-duration flights and early spacewalks. The Apollo A7L suit, worn during lunar missions, integrated a Portable Life Support System (PLSS) on the back and a hard upper torso for protection and mobility. For spacewalks starting in the 1980s, the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) became the standard NASA suit for the Space Shuttle program and later for the International Space Station, delivering oxygen, cooling, and suit pressure through the PLSS and integrated cooling garment.

Current operations rely primarily on the EMU for ISS spacewalks, with the suit comprising the pressure garment, a life-support backpack, and the extravehicular visor and communications systems. The EMU is developed and maintained through collaborations between NASA Johnson Space Center and industry partners, including manufacturers such as ILC Dover and components supplied by aerospace suppliers like Hamilton Sundstrand (now Collins Aerospace). In addition to the EMU, intravehicular activity suits and launch-and-entry suits, such as the Advanced Crew Escape Suit used during Shuttle missions, support operations inside the vehicle.

Looking ahead, NASA's exploration programs aim to introduce next-generation suits, such as the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU), designed for Artemis missions with improved mobility, safety, and compatibility with surface operations. Development emphasizes modularity, enhanced life-support reliability, and greater protection for extended lunar and deep-space activities.