This skintight suit will make space exploration easier

Space exploration may soon get a mobility upgrade thanks to the development of a skintight spacesuit. Unlike traditional gas-pressurized suits, which are bulky and rigid, this new design is lightweight, flexible, and easier to wear.

Current suits weigh around 160 kilograms and act like inflated balloons. They protect astronauts from radiation and vacuum conditions but make it hard to move, especially when performing complex tasks. They are also less suited to female astronauts due to their design.

Led by Dava Newman, researchers at MIT have spent two decades developing a suit that provides pressure by hugging the skin rather than inflating with gas. Using mechanical counterpressure and a multi-layered 3D knit of thermo-resistant polyethylene fibers, the BioSuit prototype offers greater mobility with real-time sensor tracking.

The prototype arm of the BioSuit zips on in seconds. In contrast, conventional suits take up to an hour to prepare. The design aims to give astronauts the freedom of movement similar to that of an Olympic athlete.

Future helmets could contain synthetic vision technology to enhance depth perception. This is crucial for navigating the Moon, where the absence of atmosphere distorts distance and visual cues.

Watch the video to see how the next generation of spacesuits is being designed for real space missions.