The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) plan to return humans to the Moon by 2028 could be delayed by three years due to a delay in the development of spacesuits.
According to an audit by NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), the next-generation spacesuits that the US space agency is acquiring from private contractor Axiom Space may not be ready in 2028.
The audit report found that delays in design and testing could prove a major problem for the Artemis IV mission.
This could also give China an advantage over the United States in a new space race. China also plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2030 and build the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) by 2035.
NASA’s audit report suggested that the 50-year-old spacesuits used on the Apollo missions were unsuitable and that the clothing currently worn by astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) also needs major changes as it carries significant safety risks.
Axiom Space is NASA’s sole spacesuit supplier. The deputy chief audit officer said the lawsuit was about a year and a half late.
However, the contractor seems optimistic. Despite welcoming the audit, Axiom Space’s CEO said his company was committed to delivering safe and capable spacesuits on time.
The Artemis program is already delayed since the initial plan was to take astronauts to the moon now; however, certain complications caused significant delays.
It remains to be seen whether NASA would invite new bidders to fuel competition, just as it had two multibillion-dollar companies compete to first build the lunar lander.
