ESA will develop a new material for the lunar colonial spacesuits

European Space Agency Specialistswants to develop a new fabric for spacesuits to be used by astronauts during the colonial lunar projects. The development will be held together with private textile companies. The suits on its basis will have to have the ability to repel moon dust and protect people from radiation and overheating, according to the portal Space.com.

The agency has signed a two-year contract withthe French company Comex and its partners - the German Institute of Textile Technology and Technological Design; and the Australian organization Space Forum.

“New lunar missions are aimed at establishingthe constant presence of man on the moon, and therefore new suits must be made so that they can be used more often and longer than during previous flights to the moon. The platform for these expeditions will be the Lunar Gateway station, ”they say in ESA.

The work will be carried out as part of the Pextex project, aimed at creating a new generation of material that can protect people from all potential problems associated with life on the moon.

The agency adds that any implementation plancreating a base on the moon will require the use of spacesuits that are light enough, will be able to provide astronauts with freedom of movement for many hours, and will also be well protected.

Over the next two years jointlyESA partners must create a material capable of enduring typical lunar temperatures from minus 170 to plus 120 degrees Celsius and remain airtight for 2500 hours of operation. In addition, it must protect astronauts from large doses of radiation - from 110 to 380 millisievert per year, and also repel moon dust and not accumulate static electricity on itself, at least during the 8 hour work of the astronaut on the satellite surface. It must also be non-toxic, non-flammable, waterproof and at the same time highly flexible.

In the past many world space agencies are allmore often talk about the possibility of building a "permanent" settlement on the surface of the moon. One of the reasons for this was the discovery of significant reserves of water in some dark craters at the poles of Earth’s satellite and in some of its other points.

You can discuss the news in our Telegram-chat.