A team led by Collins Aerospace has been awarded a $97.2 million contract to develop a next-generation extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuit for the International Space Station.
“Our next-generation spacesuit was built by astronauts for astronauts, continuing Collins’ long-standing legacy as a trusted partner of NASA’s human space exploration,” said Dave McClure, vice president and general manager, ISR & Space Solutions with Collins Aerospace. “Collins’ advanced spacesuit technology will be used on the International Space Station and we’re prepared to continue keeping astronauts safe, connected and ready—no matter the mission.”
Collins said its next-generation suit is a lighter weight and lower volume than existing spacesuits to provide astronauts with greater comfort and range of motion. The spacesuit is designed to fit almost any body type and be easy to modify as missions change.
Collins, which is a Raytheon company, is partnered with ILC Dover and Oceaneering on the contract.
“This is an exciting moment as we continue to be a part of history. ILC Dover is fueling the next generation space economy by designing and manufacturing spacesuits for the future of low Earth orbit and will have the ability to be outfitted for missions on the Lunar surface and beyond,” said Corey Walker, CEO of ILC Dover. “Our teams are honored to embark upon this journey as they were decades ago when ILC Dover designed and manufactured the Apollo 11 spacesuit used by Neil Armstrong and other astronauts.”
ILC Dover has been providing spacesuit pressure garments and components since the Apollo era.
“We are extremely excited and proud to be part of the Collins team, helping to successfully develop and deploy critical US EVA space exploration capability,” said Phil Beierl, senior vice president, Aerospace and Defense Technologies, Oceaneering. “Our staff brings outstanding spacesuit systems engineering and integration expertise to this task. We look forward to leveraging our portable life support and pressure garment subsystem technologies, as well as our crew training and mission operations knowledge to support the Collins team.”
