Overview

• NASA's CITADEL chamber at JPL is being adapted to test spacesuit elbow joints, abrasion resistance, and lunar regolith simulants.
• Boot testing results from the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit prototype are under analysis to identify performance gaps for lunar South Pole conditions.
• Previous glove testing revealed that legacy Extravehicular Mobility Unit gloves fail to meet thermal requirements for extreme lunar environments.
• CITADEL's cryogenic capabilities, including compressed helium cooling and robotic manipulation, allow for precise simulation of harsh extraterrestrial conditions.
• Manikin-based testing with sensor-equipped extremities provides consistent, cost-effective data to inform next-generation spacesuit designs for Artemis III.