The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) plan to land humans back on the moon by 2028 could be pushed back by three years due to delay in the development of spacesuits.
According to an audit by the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) the next-gen spacesuits that the American space agency is getting from private contractor Axiom Space might not be ready by 2028.
The audit report found that design and testing delays could prove to be a major problem for Artemis IV mission.
This could also give China an advantage over the U.S. in new space race. China is also planning to land astronauts on the moon by 2030 and build the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) by 2035.
NASA audit report suggested that 50-year-old spacesuits used in Apollo missions were not suitable and the wardrobe being currently used by astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS) also need major changes as they carry significant safety risks.
Axiom Space is the sole spacesuit provider to NASA. The audit assistant director said the suit was around one-and-a-half years behind schedule.
However, the contractor seems to be optimistic. Despite welcoming the audit, the Axiom Space CEO said his company was committed to delivering safe and capable spacesuits on time.
Artemis’ program is already behind schedule as the initial plan was to land astronauts on the moon by now; however, certain complications created major delays.
It remains to be seen if NASA would invite new bidders to drive the competition just like it put two billionaires’ companies in competition to build the moon lander first.
