SpaceX Unveils New Spacesuit Ahead of Historic Commercial Spacewalk

SpaceX is gearing up for a groundbreaking private mission that will see astronauts embark on a five-day journey through Earth orbit. As part of this mission, the astronauts will be the first to don SpaceX's latest spacesuit design during a historic commercial spacewalk.

In a recent update, SpaceX revealed its long-awaited extravehicular activity (EVA) suit, which the Polaris Dawn crew will wear during a series of missions backed by billionaire Jared Isaacman. The first of the program’s three missions is scheduled to launch no earlier than this summer. During the five-day mission, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will orbit Earth in an elliptical path, enabling private astronauts to gather data, conduct research, and perform the first commercial astronaut spacewalk, which will also be the first from the Dragon spacecraft.

Designing the EVA suits proved to be a challenging task for SpaceX, leading to delays in the Polaris Dawn mission, which was initially slated to launch in the fourth quarter of 2022. Sources cited significant underestimation of the workload required to adapt the company's pressurized suit design for extravehicular activity. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk acknowledged the complexity of the task, noting the difficulty of ensuring mobility in an inflated suit. However, the company now seems to have overcome these hurdles.

The new suits represent an evolution of SpaceX's current astronaut suits, with additional features to facilitate extravehicular activities. Developed with mobility in mind, the suit's design includes new materials, fabrication processes, and innovative joint designs to enhance astronaut flexibility in pressurized conditions while maintaining comfort in unpressurized scenarios.

The EVA suit’s 3D-printed helmet includes a visor to reduce solar glare during spacewalks, alongside a Heads-Up Display (HUD) and camera that provide critical information on suit pressure, temperature, and humidity. Seals and pressure valves ensure the suit remains pressurized throughout the spacewalk.

Designed for adaptability, the suit can be adjusted to fit different body types, reflecting SpaceX's ambition to broaden access to space. The company also designed the new suits with future missions to the Moon and Mars in mind, aligning with its broader vision of enabling human exploration of the Red Planet.

With the first commercial astronaut spacewalk now on the horizon, SpaceX’s innovative spacesuit design marks a significant step forward in the company’s quest to make space more accessible and advance the boundaries of human spaceflight.