Key facts
- NASA will use a simpler "Sortie Suit" for initial lunar landing missions.
- The decision aims to accelerate the Artemis program's timeline, targeting a 2028 lunar South Pole landing.
- The Sortie Suit will be developed by Axiom Space.
- The new design will focus on reducing mass, complexity, and interfaces with lunar landers.
- This change is part of broader efforts by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman to get the Artemis program back on schedule.
NASA has decided to utilize a simplified "Sortie Suit" for its initial lunar landing missions, a move aimed at accelerating the Artemis program's timeline. The agency announced the decision internally this week, with the goal of landing humans at the Moon's South Pole as early as 2028. Under the direction of Artemis Program Manager Jeremy Parsons, NASA will collaborate with Axiom Space to develop this variant of the planned lunar spacesuit.
The Sortie Suit is intended for use on landers developed by both SpaceX and Blue Origin. Key objectives for the new design include reducing the spacesuit's mass, decreasing its overall complexity, and simplifying the interfaces between the suits and the lunar landers. This strategic shift comes as NASA faces significant schedule delays in its Artemis Program.
Since arriving at NASA in December 2025, Administrator Jared Isaacman and his team have been reviewing the program's progress. Concerns about falling behind schedule and potentially allowing China to reach the lunar surface first have prompted changes. Isaacman has already initiated streamlining production of the Space Launch System rocket and canceled the Lunar Gateway project to alleviate pressure on lunar landers. He is also working closely with SpaceX and Blue Origin to align NASA's support with their needs.
Axiom Space, operating under a spacesuit-as-a-service contract, is NASA's sole current provider for astronauts venturing onto the lunar surface. Previously, NASA had awarded contracts to both Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace. However, Collins Aerospace withdrew from the program in 2024 due to schedule overruns and financial difficulties, leaving Axiom as the exclusive partner. While Axiom remains committed, private sources have expressed reservations about its progress rate.