Spacesuits

It will be interesting to follow how SpaceX develop spacesuits, particularly for Mars

SpaceX Extravehicular Activity (EVA) spacesuit will be tested in space on the first "The Polaris Dawn" mission scheduled NET November 2022.

The SpaceX EVA suit will enable spacewalks outside the Spacecraft such as 'Crew Dragon' and the upcoming 'Starship'.

Meanwhile NASA have awarded two contacts to develop EVA and Moon Space suits to AXIOM Space and Collins Aerospace., but neither will be ready to test until 2025. Moon suits are also know by NASA as Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU).

Trips to Low Earth Orbit(LEO)

Currently SpaceX have developed a spacesuit for its manned crewed Dragon missions to the International Space Station(ISS) for NASA.

This style of spacesuit is called an Intervehicular Activity suit (IVA) as it is not for use outside in space itself just inside the space vehicle.

spacex spacesuit

This version of SpaceX’s spacesuits, first revealed in 2017, aren’t meant to allow astronauts to survive in the harsh environment of space. Instead, they’re safety backups in case of sudden spacecraft depressurization during launch and landings.

A tour of SpaceX’s spacesuit!

Earths Moon

The possibility of a manned Lunar landing would most likely require NASA to use new spacesuits designed for use on the Moon.

Mars

Remarkably due to SpaceX's rapid development of its Starship design there is still a possibility of Elon Musk's 'aspirational' goal to fly the first humans to Mars in 2024 this will put a lot of pressure to develop and mass produce spacesuits like never before.

SpaceX plans for Mars are much more demanding and will require full Extra Vehicular Activity(EVA) suits for the journey to Mars for any unexpected events that require repairs to be made outside of its Starship.

Each Mars Starship will most likely need two EVA suits and maybe a spare, These would require fully trained astronauts to use.

Then on Mars itself there will need to have full life support pressurised suits designed for working hard once landed on Mars.

The first two human trips to Mars will carry reduced crews, most likely there will be between 12 and 16 crew on these first missions to Mars.

There may not need to have a suit while in transit to Mars and for takeoff as used for the crewed trips to the ISS for NASA (The Mars suits may be useful in an emergency) the cleaning of these suits in space may be an issue as is the cleaning of any clothes used while in microgravity. If suits are required for used in the Starship while in transit they may also need to have some sort of thrusters packs to enable movement around the Starship. (maybe small handheld thrusters to maneuver around in the starship)

A requirement for on Mars will be a mars Suit for each person and a backup, these suits hopefully will have some degrees of interchangeability and fit.

Each Mars suit will need the ability to be kept clean and in a high state of readiness and be easily maintained as any major problems would require a two year wait for the next supplies to come from Earth to resolve.