美国宇航局公布了两套新的原型宇航服，其中一套将由第一位女性宇航员在踏上月球时穿着。
周二，美国航天局在华盛顿特区总部举行了一场由局长吉姆·布赖登斯廷参加的演示会，向公众介绍了这套新西装。
这两套套装——被称为探索舱外机动装置(xEMU)和猎户座乘员生存系统——有不同的用途。
白色xEMU套装是为美国宇航局阿尔特弥斯计划中未来月球探测任务的宇航员设计的。阿尔特弥斯计划在2024年前让“第一个女人和下一个男人”登陆月球，长期目标是在卫星上建立可持续的存在。航天局希望这些任务将为未来的火星载人任务奠定必要的基础。
据美国国家航空航天局称，新xEMU基于宇航员在国际空间站外进行太空行走时目前使用的宇航服的设计，尽管它拥有几项进步。
这些改进包括许多新的安全特性。例如，这套衣服被设计成比它的前身更耐灰尘，以防止月球土壤中存在的微小玻璃碎片污染。
xEMU还被设计成能够承受宇航员在月球上可能经历的温度的巨大波动，从阴凉处的-250华氏度到阳光下的250华氏度不等。
套装“背包”中包含的各种生命维持组件也已经小型化，这意味着现在系统的许多部分都是重复的——降低了氧气供应或其他关键功能出现严重故障的风险。这不仅意味着宇航员将会更安全，而且他们还将能够在宇宙飞船外执行更长的任务。
美国国家航空航天局还设计了比以前的设计更灵活的套装，借助先进的材料和关节轴承，可以实现更大的弯曲和更自由的运动。
头盔中的通讯系统也进行了改造。人们称之为“史努比帽”的旧耳机过时了，这种帽子经常让宇航员感到不舒服和出汗。他们还配备了不能很好跟随头部运动的麦克风。一种新的音频系统出现了，它的特点是在套装中嵌入麦克风，当宇航员说话时，麦克风会自动接收到他们的声音。
和以前的任务一样，宇航员仍然会穿着尿布一样的衣服来吸收排泄物，以防他们在长途太空行走中需要解手。
除了所有这些功能之外，新的eXMU套装还可以定制，因为它们的模块化设计和可互换部件。这意味着根据宇航员是在宇宙飞船外进行太空行走还是在表面行走，无论是在月球上还是在火星上，这套服装的设置都可以修改。例如，冬天探索火星的宇航员可能会在衣服上增加特殊的外衣来保暖。
工程师们还为这套服装的头盔配备了一个易于更换的护目镜，这意味着如果头盔损坏或磨损，他们就不必将头盔送回地球进行维修。
另一方面，橙色猎户座套装是为阿尔特弥斯宇航员设计的，在即将到来的猎户座乘员舱中，在发射、紧急情况、任务的高风险部分以及重返地球期间使用。
所谓的“飞行服”是宇航员在以前的航天飞机任务中穿的一种增强版。新的猎户座头盔——有不止一种尺寸——比以前的太空服更轻更结实，给宇航员提供了更多的舒适。它提高了降噪能力，使机组成员更容易沟通。
这套服装是耐火的，并具有新的热管理特性，可以在发射和重返大气层时保持宇航员的凉爽和干燥。
明亮的橙色使得宇航员重返地球后更容易在海洋中发现他们，如果他们必须在回收人员到达之前离开飞船的话。此外，他们还配备了这种情况下的救生设备，包括救援刀、信号工具包、镜子、闪光灯、手电筒、哨子、手电筒、灯、棍子和个人定位信标。
艾米·罗斯(Amy Ross)，美国宇航局约翰逊航天中心宇航服工程师(左)和美国宇航局局长吉姆·布里登斯汀(左二)在美国宇航局约翰逊航天中心宇航服工程师克里斯汀·戴维斯(Kristine Davis)的注视下，穿着美国宇航局新探索舱外机动单元(xEMU)的地面原型和美国宇航局约翰逊航天中心猎户座乘员生存系统项目经理达斯汀·戈赫梅特(Dustin Gohmert)，在被管理员介绍后，穿着猎户座乘员生存系统套装(右)波浪，2019年10月15日，星期二，华盛顿美国宇航局总部。
尽管这套服装主要是为发射和重返大气层时使用而设计的，但如果舱压消失，它可以让宇航员在飞船中存活长达六天，给他们一个返回地球的窗口(如果他们正在往返月球)。
美国国家航空航天局已经设计了猎户座套装，使其比之前的更具移动性，并且设计成可以快速穿上。与航天飞机飞行服不同，猎户座将被定制到每位宇航员的身体上。这套服装的手套得到了增强，使其更加耐用，同时也使宇航员能够使用触摸屏。
航天局的新套装仍然需要在航天环境中进行测试，以确保它们按预期性能运行。
NASA UNVEILS NEW SPACESUIT THAT FIRST WOMAN ON MOON WILL WEAR
NASA has unveiled two new prototype spacesuits, one of which will be worn by the first female astronaut when she steps foot on the moon.
The space agency introduced the new suits to the public during a presentation attended by administrator Jim Bridenstine on Tuesday at their Washington D.C. headquarters.
The two suits—known as the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) and the Orion Crew Survival System—serve different purposes.
The white xEMU suit has been designed for use by astronauts on future lunar exploration missions in NASA's Artemis program. Artemis intends to land the "first woman and next man" on the moon by 2024 with a long-term goal of establishing a sustainable presence on the satellite. The space agency hopes that these missions will lay the necessary groundwork for future manned missions to Mars.
The new xEMU builds on the designs of spacesuits currently used by astronauts when they conduct spacewalks outside the International Space Station, although it boasts several advances, according to NASA.
Included in these improvements are a host of new safety features. For example, the suit is designed to be more dust-tolerant than its predecessors to prevent contamination with tiny glass-like shards, which are present in lunar soil.
The xEMU has also been designed to withstand the vast swings in temperature astronauts may experience on the moon, ranging from -250 F in the shade to 250 F in sunlight.
The various life-support components contained in the "backpack" of the suit have also been miniaturized, meaning there are now duplicates for many parts of the system—reducing the risk of critical failures with the oxygen supply or other critical features. Not only does this mean astronauts will be safer, but they will also be able to conduct longer missions outside the spacecraft.
NASA has also designed the suit to be much more mobile than previous designs, with the help of advanced materials and joint bearings that allow for more bending and freer movement.
The communication system in the helmet has also been revamped. Out go the old headsets known as "snoopy caps," which often made astronauts uncomfortable and sweaty. They also featured microphones that did not follow the movements of their heads very well. In comes a new audio system featuring microphones embedded into the suit that automatically pick up on the astronaut's voice whenever they are speaking.
As in previous missions, astronauts will still wear a diaper-like garment that absorbs excrement in the event that they need to relieve themselves during long spacewalks.
On top of all these features, the new eXMU suits will be customizable due to their modular design and interchangeable parts. This means the set-up of the suit can be modified depending on whether the astronaut is conducting a spacewalk outside a spacecraft or walking on a surface, whether it be on the moon or Mars. For example, an astronaut exploring Mars in winter may have special outer garments added to the suit to keep them warm.
Engineers have also equipped the suit's helmet with an easily replaceable visor, meaning that they won't have to send the helmet back to Earth for repairs if it gets damaged or worn.
The orange Orion suit, on the other hand, is designed for use by Artemis astronauts inside the upcoming Orion crew capsule during launch, emergency situations, high-risk parts of the mission, and re-entry back to Earth.
The so-called "flight suit" is an enhanced version of the one worn by astronauts on previous Space Shuttle missions. The new Orion helmet—which comes in more than one size—is lighter and stronger than previous space suits, providing astronauts with more comfort. It has improved noise-reducing abilities, enabling crew members to communicate more easily.
The suit is fire-resistant, and features new thermal management characteristics which can keep the astronauts cool and dry during launch and reentry.
The bright orange color makes it easier to spot astronauts in the ocean on Earth after reentry if they have to exit the spacecraft before recovery crews arrive. Furthermore, they are equipped with survival gear for this situation, including a rescue knife, a signaling kit, a mirror, strobe light, flashlight, whistle, flashlight, light, sticks and a personal location beacon.
Amy Ross, a spacesuit engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (left) and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (second from left) watch as Kristine Davis, a spacesuit engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, wearing a ground prototype of NASA’s new Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) and Dustin Gohmert, Orion Crew Survival Systems Project Manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, wearing the Orion Crew Survival System suit (right) wave after being introduced by the administrator, Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Even though the suit is primarily designed for use during launch and reentry, it can keep astronauts alive for up to six days in their spacecraft if cabin pressure is lost, giving them a window to return to Earth (if they are traveling to or from the moon).
NASA has engineered the Orion suit to be more mobile than its predecessors, and it is designed to it can be put on quickly. Unlike Space Shuttle flight suits, the Orion will be custom-fitted to the body of each astronaut. The gloves of the suit have been enhanced making them more durable while also enabling the astronauts to use touch screens.
The space agency's new suits still need to undergo testing in a spaceflight environment to ensure that they perform as intended.
