Collins Aerospace pulls back from NASA spacesuit contract
Collins Aerospace steps back from NASA contract to develop ISS spacesuits, citing a mutual agreement to reduce work scope. NASA remains silent on the matter, raising uncertainty about finding a new suit developer.
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Collins Aerospace has decided to step back from its contract with NASA to develop replacement spacesuits for the International Space Station (ISS). The company cited a mutual agreement with NASA to "descoped" work on spacesuit development under task orders from a contract awarded two years ago. Despite previously reporting progress on the suit, Collins did not disclose the reasons for this decision. NASA has not commented on the development, leaving uncertainty about the next steps to find a new suit developer. This move comes after NASA faced challenges with two consecutive scrubbed spacewalks due to spacesuit issues on the ISS. The aging Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs) currently in use have raised concerns, prompting calls for a transition to new suits to manage risks associated with extravehicular activities. SpaceX is also independently developing its own spacesuit for future missions.
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