Elon Musk has offered for SpaceX to help NASA create its next-generation spacesuits after a watchdog said the program will cost over $1 billion
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk offered for his company to help NASA create its new high-tech spacesuits, or ‘Extravehicular Mobility Units‘.
NASA’s current goal is to produce two flight-ready spacesuits by November 2024. However, the company’s Inspector General found that “the Agency faces significant challenges in meeting this goal”.
SpaceX could do it if need be
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 10, 2021
“The delays in spacesuit development will prelude a 2024 moon landing”.
This comes after a string of events which which had already forced NASA to delay its upcoming Artemis III lunar landing for 20 months, to November 2024.
The Inspector General says reasons for delay includes “reduced funding for spacesuit development in FY 2021, COVID-19 impacts, and ongoing technical issues.”
“Given the integration requirements, the suits would not be ready for flight until
April 2025 at the earliest.”
“NASA will spend over $1 billion before the first two next-generation spacesuits are ready for flight”
By the time two flight-ready spacesuits are available, NASA will have spent over a
billion dollars on their development and assembly.
Since 2007, NASA has spent over $420 million on spacesuit development. It plans to spend an additional $625 million.
Even despite the extra cash, NASA’s inspector general found that the spacesuits will “not be ready for flight until April 2025 at the earliest.”
Currently, NASA astronauts use spacesuits which were designed 45 years ago for the Space Shuttle Program.
