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I'm looking for a collection of novel EVA suit designs, which are serious (are more than a mere art station create)

There is of course the BioSuit: 1, 2.

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  • $\begingroup$ somewhat related: What ever happened with that pressure suit design based on elastic tension in contact with skin? $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Feb 2, 2021 at 7:03
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    $\begingroup$ @uhoh I seem to recall that no one ever worked out how to get it to fit reliably in the armpits $\endgroup$
    – Steve Linton
    Feb 2, 2021 at 8:04
  • $\begingroup$ @SteveLinton not only the area between arms and torso is very difficult, but also the area between legs and torso.The toes are another problem. $\endgroup$
    – Uwe
    Feb 2, 2021 at 10:35
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    $\begingroup$ Did they ever test a full body BioSuit in a vacuum chamber with an (simulated) EVA duration of 4 to 6 hours? No problems with dry skin, skin irritation and abrasion? $\endgroup$
    – Uwe
    Feb 2, 2021 at 11:39
  • $\begingroup$ @Uwe that's a really interesting thought, please post it as a new question! $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Feb 2, 2021 at 22:01

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Spacesuit development has been rather low on the NASA priority queue ever since the Human Spaceflight programs were crippled due to the end of the Shuttle program and because there wasn't really any direct application for a new suit. That said, the Z-Series spacesuit development has been simmering in the background since 2014 to develop the "Z-2" suit which looks like it's almost complete. It was slated to go through some final testing rounds last year and NASA has done some publicity indicating that this new suit (now called the xEMU) will be the one used for Lunar (Artemis) missions.

There isn't that much extremely "novel" about the xEMU suits (mostly a generational improvement) but they do have some major features that set them apart from suits currently in use on the ISS or those used during Apollo:

  • Suitport entry: astronauts slip into the suit through a port in the back. This speeds up don/doff and allows them to be used as an essential personal airlock.
  • Updated PLSS: the Personal Life Support System is the core function of the suit and it's been updated to work with modern technology and computer control
  • High Pressure: through the use of hard components and bearings, the xEMU can maintain a higher internal pressure which prevents the astronauts needing to acclimatize to the pressure before and after using the suit.
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    $\begingroup$ As a diver I know a little about pressure changes, acclimatization to higher pressure needs no time, but decompression to a lower pressure needs. So acclimatization after using the suit is not needed. $\endgroup$
    – Uwe
    Feb 2, 2021 at 15:09
  • $\begingroup$ These suits are novel the same way this year's Toyota will be. Im looking not for derivative and underfunded designs, but something innovative and new (Hopefully this does not come off as negative). $\endgroup$
    – Outsider
    Feb 5, 2021 at 20:07
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    $\begingroup$ @Outsider yeah, I totally see where you're coming from, it's just that there aren't really any. Besides the MIT Biosuit and that New York company that was working on MCP spacesuit glove designs a couple years ago, there hasn't really been anything new in the Spacesuit world that goes further than "advanced cgi rendering" or "bachelor's degree project" $\endgroup$
    – Dragongeek
    Feb 5, 2021 at 21:05

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