Neil Armstrong and his fellow astronauts' bulky, puffy white moonsuits from NASA's Apollo mission 50 years ago are out of fashion. Lunar haute couture now calls for something more form-fitting and appropriate for men and women alike..

In preparation for the first astronauts who are anticipated to return to the moon's surface in the next years, NASA displayed the first prototype of a brand-new, next-generation spacesuit on Wednesday.

Axiom Space, a Texas-based business hired by NASA to construct suits for Artemis, the replacement for the Apollo moon programme, conducted an event for the media and students at the Johnson Space Center in Houston where the most recent in moon-wear was on show.

In December, NASA successfully completed the Artemis I mission, which saw the first launch of its potent next-generation rocket and its freshly constructed Orion spacecraft on an unmanned test voyage around the moon and back.
The four astronauts who have been selected to launch as early as next year on Artemis II, another out-and-back mission, will be revealed by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency on April 3.

If that flight is successful, it will open the door for the Artemis III astronaut mission, which is scheduled for later in the decade. This mission will be the first to reach the moon's south pole. It will be the first time a woman has ever been sent to visit the moon. NASA promises that subsequent Artemis missions will include the first person of color on the moon.

The program's ultimate goal is to create a viable lunar station as a stepping stone for future human exploration of Mars. It is named after Apollo's mythological twin sister.

The new spacesuits "will provide chances for more people to explore and perform science on the moon than ever before," according to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

Six Apollo flights from 1969 to 1972 involved a total of 12 NASA astronauts, all of whom were white men. The cumbersome spacesuits of yesteryear would look nothing like the clothes worn to the moon by Artemis crew.
The new suits, known as Axiom as the "Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit," or simply AxEMU, are more streamlined and flexible than the previous Apollo get-ups, with a wider range of motion and versatility in size and fit.

NASA said, they are made to fit a wide spectrum of possible wearers and can accommodate at least 90% of both the male and female populations in the United States. They will also contain improvements in avionics, pressure suits, and life support systems.

But the exact design of the costumes remained a well kept trade secret. In order to conceal Axiom's exclusive outer fabric design, those on exhibit had an exterior layer that was charcoal grey with splotches of orange and blue and the company's emblem on the breast.

Nonetheless, the corporation claimed that white suits will be worn by astronauts on the lunar south pole since it is the best colour for reflecting the strong sunlight on the moon's surface and shielding the wearer from intense heat.

The bespoke cover layer was made using the Axiom logo and brand colours in collaboration with costume designer Ester Marquis from the Apple TV+ lunar series "For All Mankind," according to Axiom. Houston-based The Artemis astronauts won't exclusively be sporting Axiom clothing in the coming years.

Collins Aerospace of Charlotte, North Carolina, has also been given a contract by NASA to compete for the development of future spacesuits that will be used on the moon and for spacewalks outside the International Space Station.

Astronauts got newest spacesuit used on the Artemis moon landing missions

In 2031 NASA will sink the ISS into the Pacific Ocean

How NASA calculated the carbon footprints of over 100 countries