Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX Corp, is facing significant challenges and delays in its contract to develop next-generation spacesuits for NASA. In 2022, NASA awarded Collins Aerospace and Axiom Space contracts totaling $3.5 billion to design and build advanced spacesuits for the International Space Station (ISS) and future Artemis lunar missions.
Collins initially received $97 million to work on a new spacesuit for the ISS to replace the aging Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs) that have been used for over two decades. The company made some early progress, completing a key design milestone in early 2024 by testing a prototype suit in simulated microgravity aboard a parabolic aircraft.
However, the Collins spacesuit development program has since fallen behind schedule and faced cost overruns. Media reports say Collins is now in discussions with NASA to potentially back out of the ISS spacesuit contract.
This setback comes at a challenging time for NASA, as the agency has recently had to cancel several ISS spacewalks due to issues with the current 40-year-old EMU suits. Water leaks and other problems continue to plague the aging spacesuits, underscoring the urgent need for modern replacements.
If Collins does withdraw from the spacesuit contract, it would leave Axiom Space as the sole company developing next-gen suits for NASA. Axiom is primarily focused on a lunar suit for the Artemis program but is also working on an ISS version. However, Axiom has faced its own hurdles with supply chain issues and the critical design review process for the complex spacesuits.
NASA has not yet indicated if it will seek a new partner to replace Collins or how the spacesuit development program will proceed. The agency’s inspector general and safety advisory panel have repeatedly urged NASA to upgrade its spacesuits. For now, astronauts will have to continue relying on the aging EMUs, highlighting the importance and difficulty of advancing spacesuit technology to enable the next chapter of human spaceflight.
