Space Suit

History's first all-female spacewalk has been cancelled at the last moment due to a problem with the spacesuits. The lack of two spacesuits to fit both women at the same time has forced the space agency to swap one of the team with a male astronaut.

Fifty years after the first manned mission to the Moon, ESA is training a new generation of astronauts to work on the lunar surface. The new explorers are using simulated moonwalks in Spain to test a range of advanced electronic aids, new geological tools, and improved scientific protocols.

For both skydivers and astronauts, a spin can be a fatal mistake, so engineering firm Draper is working on an anti-spin device to bring them automatically back to stability. Using a network of sensors and gyroscopes,the new system detects a dangerous rotation and generates a counter-torque.

Scientists from the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica's (INAF) Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali and the University of Perugia have developed a towable ground radar designed to look for water on the planet Mars that was tested by a team of analog astronauts.

To help develop the next generation of both spacesuits and astronauts, non-profit research organization PoSSUM is preparing to conduct splashdown tests of a new commercial spacesuit, with the help of ten student and citizen scientist-astronaut candidates.

It's a nightmare scenario. An unconscious astronaut on a spacewalk gone wrong floats off into deep space with no way to get back. To prevent this, engineering firm Draper has patented a "take me home" rescue system that allows a disabled astronaut to return to safety at the push of a button.

Scientists at MIT and non-profit research lab Draper are developing a sensor-equipped space boot that uses vibrations to guide wearers around obstacles, and now they've added an augmented reality display to provide visual feedback as well.​

In an Instagram post, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk released the full-view image of company's starkly futuristic spacesuit standing next to the Crew Dragon capsule with the comment, "Astronaut spacesuit next to Crew Dragon."

​Once SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft starts ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station, what will they be wearing while onboard? Well, a little something like you see here.

​Astronauts travelling to and from the International Space Station aboard Boeing's new CST-100 Starliner may be wearing Reeboks. The footwear manufacturer has announced that it teamed up with space suit manufacturer David Clark Company, to create a boot for use in the spacecraft.

Radiation exposure leaves astronauts with an increased risk of cancer and other diseases. Now a team from Australian National University has developed a new nanomaterial that could protect space travelers with a thin film that dynamically reflects harmful radiation.

We can't think about going to Mars until we know how to contain human waste on deep space missions, a problem that has stumped many of the best minds. Can the winning entries from NASA's Space Poop Challenge take astronauts beyond the adult diaper?​​