Nasa's planned lunar landing in 2028 could be delayed until the 2030s because of problems developing next-generation spacesuits, a watchdog report has warned. The US space agency's Office of Inspector General said the suits may not be ready until 2031 if further design and testing hurdles arise, pushing the Artemis IV mission back by at least three years.
The suits, commissioned from Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace in 2022 for $3.1bn, suffered a setback when Collins Aerospace dropped out last year after failing to meet deadlines. The report criticised Nasa's choice to use private contractors, saying the approach conflicted with the developmental nature of the suits and carried higher risks.
Nasa responded by pointing to progress made by Axiom Space, which recently completed a key technical review. Dr Lori Glaze, Nasa's acting associate administrator, said testing for mobility, heat control and dust tolerance is underway, expressing confidence that the suits will support a lunar mission by 2028.
Axiom's CEO, Dr Jonathan Cirtain, said a qualification unit will be delivered this year, with in-space demonstrations planned for 2027. However, the OIG noted that Nasa's original schedules for 2025 and 2026 demonstrations were overly optimistic and unachievable, with delays of at least 18 months.
If the new suits are not ready in time, Nasa may have to rely on the ageing Extravehicular Mobility Unit suits, which were designed over 50 years ago and have had no major updates for two decades. The OIG also warned that a delay would affect subsequent missions to the Moon and Mars.
