The Spacesuit that Chinese Astronauts Will use on the Moon

China aims to send astronauts to the Moon by around 2030 and recently showcased the new spacesuits they’ll be using. During a media event, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) demonstrated the suits with two astronauts testing them out for the cameras.

Based on current plans, the CMSA plans to land near the Moon’s south pole by the end of the decade using its Mengzhou crewed spacecraft and Lanyue crewed lunar lander. However, reaching the Moon is only part of the challenge—space suits are equally crucial, as they enable astronauts to venture outside and explore.

The Challenge of Lunar Space Suits

This is a significant challenge, as lunar space suits haven’t been in use since the Apollo missions, which concluded with Apollo 17 in 1972, aside from experimental and developmental efforts. Modern space suits fall into two categories: emergency suits, designed to protect astronauts during launch and reentry in case of air pressure loss, and more advanced EVA suits.

The latter are constructed from stronger materials and feature flexible joints, allowing astronauts to exit the spacecraft in orbit while shielding them from the harsh conditions of space.

Overcoming Unique Lunar Hazards

Moon suits are a completely different challenge. They must protect the wearer from vacuum, extreme temperatures on the lunar surface, and micrometeorite impacts. Additionally, they need to shield against the highly abrasive lunar dust and withstand ground temperatures as hot as boiling water under sunlight, which melted boot covers during the Apollo missions.

The suit’s joints must also provide enough flexibility for walking and performing tasks, while an efficient, self-contained life support system is crucial, effectively turning the suit into a human-shaped spaceship.

Unveiled at the third Spacesuit Technology Forum at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Chongqing, southwest China, the new suit was showcased by astronauts Zhai Zhigang and Wang Yaping. They walked onto a stage featuring a large video screen, starry backdrops, and a fog machine, while Yang Liwei, deputy chief designer of China’s manned space program and the country’s first astronaut, delivered the presentation.

A Design Balancing Art and Function

The suit, featuring distinctive red stripes on the arms inspired by traditional Chinese art and on the legs evoking rocket flames, was demonstrated to the audience. The astronauts bent, squatted, walked, kneeled, and climbed a ladder to show its mobility. The trailing umbilicals and their ease of movement suggest the life support system was likely omitted to reduce weight under Earth’s gravity, which is six times stronger than on the Moon.

There weren’t many technical details provided about the suit, aside from its multifunctional integrated control panel, flexible and reliable gloves, cameras, and panoramic glare-proof helmet visor.

However, some inferences can be made based on its design, which appears to be inspired by the Chinese Feitian space suit, itself modeled after the Soviet/Russian Orlan suit. The Orlan suit was first used on the Salyut space station missions, and its latest version is still in use on the International Space Station (ISS).

Similar to the Orlan, the new Chinese suit likely features a solid torso with soft limbs and entry through a back panel, which also houses the life support system. This resemblance can be traced back to China’s import of Orlan-M suits around 2000 for its Shenzhou crewed orbital program.

If the new suit follows similar specifications, it would weigh about 120 kg (260 lb) when fully equipped, support up to eight hours of use on internal systems, and be suitable for at least 15 missions.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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