Houston — NASA and Axiom Space have completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), the next-generation spacesuit being developed for astronauts returning to the Moon under NASA's Artemis program. Announced on November 13, 2026, this is the first Critical Design Review of a NASA spacewalking suit in more than 40 years.
The milestone clears the design for the next development stage, allowing Axiom Space to move into production and qualification testing. The review examined engineering drawings, structural analyses, component designs, prototype test results, overall suit mass and pressure performance across the integrated system.
Production and Testing Ahead
Axiom Space plans to complete assembly of the pressure garment and Portable Life Support System (PLSS) by early 2027. The suit will then undergo qualification testing, including performance, thermal-vacuum, vibration and life-cycle tests.
Following these tests, Axiom plans to deliver the suit for an in-space demonstration aboard the International Space Station (ISS). However, completing the design review does not mean the spacesuit is already certified for flight.
Simplified Suit for Early Artemis Missions
NASA is also pursuing a simplified configuration called the Sortie suit (AxEMU-S1) for shorter-duration lunar surface excursions during the initial Artemis missions, with the lunar return targeted for 2028.
Rather than developing an entirely separate suit, the Sortie configuration builds on AxEMU components, testing infrastructure and supply chains. The original, broader-capability AxEMU development will continue alongside this effort.
The schedule remains challenging. A NASA Office of Inspector General report published in April 2026 warned that historical development and testing timelines could push spacesuit demonstrations to 2031. The report also highlighted delays and risks to NASA's planned Artemis and ISS schedules.
Axiom Space Becomes NASA's Sole Spacesuit Provider
NASA awarded spacesuit development contracts to Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace in 2022 under the Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) program. However, NASA and Collins mutually agreed to remove Collins' development task orders in June 2024 after the company faced difficulties meeting the required schedule.
This left Axiom as NASA's sole active provider for the immediate development effort.
The AxEMU is designed to support lunar surface exploration, including improved astronaut mobility for activities such as collecting samples. Its development also incorporates extensive ground testing, including pressurized crewed trials and evaluations in simulated lunar conditions.
With the Critical Design Review complete, Axiom Space can advance toward manufacturing and qualification testing. The next major steps will be completing the suit assembly, demonstrating its performance and securing NASA flight certification ahead of future Artemis lunar missions.
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