Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Astronauts returning to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign will face harsh conditions that require testing and development of next-generation spacesuits. To support this effort, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California has built a unique chamber called CITADEL (Cryogenic Ice Testing, Acquisition Development, and Excavation Laboratory). Originally designed for testing potential robotic explorers for ocean worlds like Jupiter’s moon Europa, CITADEL is now being used to evaluate spacesuit gloves and boots in extreme cold.
The glove testing campaign in CITADEL, conducted by the NASA Engineering and Safety Center, took place from October 2023 to March 2024, while the boot testing, led by the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, was conducted from October 2024 to January 2025. The next step is to adapt CITADEL for testing spacesuit elbow joints and incorporate abrasion testing and lunar regolith simulant for the first time.
The Moon’s South Pole, where the Artemis III mission will take place, is known for its extreme conditions, with temperatures as low as minus 414 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 248 degrees Celsius). The CITADEL chamber approximates these temperatures, making it a valuable tool for testing the limits of spacesuit gloves and boots.
One of the goals of the CITADEL experiments is to identify vulnerabilities in existing spacesuits and develop standardized and repeatable test methods for the next-generation lunar suit being built by Axiom Space, the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU). By using CITADEL and modern manikin technology, NASA can test design iterations faster and at a lower cost than traditional human-in-the-loop testing, while still ensuring spacesuit safety.
With the data collected from CITADEL testing, NASA can quantify the capability gap of the current hardware and provide feedback to the Artemis suit vendor. The testing also helps NASA assess future hardware designs and mitigate risks to astronauts on future Moon missions.
The CITADEL chamber, which utilizes compressed helium, is equipped with load locks for quick adjustments during testing, cryocoolers to chill the chamber, and aluminum blocks to simulate tools and the lunar surface. It also features a robotic arm and multiple cameras for recording operations.
The article emphasizes the importance of testing spacesuit gloves and boots, as they make prolonged contact with cold surfaces and tools. Understanding the risks and capabilities of the current hardware is crucial for ensuring the safety of astronauts on future Moon missions.
In conclusion, the use of the CITADEL chamber at NASA’s JPL for testing spacesuit gloves and boots in extreme cold conditions is a significant step towards developing next-generation spacesuits suitable for the harsh environments of the Moon’s South Pole. The data collected from these tests will inform the design and development of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit and future spacesuit designs. By utilizing modern manikin technology and advanced testing methods, NASA can accelerate the testing process and reduce costs while still ensuring astronaut safety.
References:
- NASA JPL. (2025). Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved from https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/preparations-for-next-moonwalk-simulations-underway-and-underwater