Ars Technica4/21/2026ScienceUnited States
NASA Inspector General Report Raises Concerns About Lunar Spacesuit Readiness
Despite report suggesting 2031 timeline, NASA Administrator says astronauts will have Axiom suits for 2028 Moon landing
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- NASA's Inspector General released a report Monday examining the agency's lunar spacesuit procurement, warning that the sole remaining contractor Axiom Space may not deliver flight-ready suits until 2031—five years behind NASA's 2028 lunar landing target.
- After Collins Aerospace dropped out of the xEVAS contract competition in 2024, NASA is left with one provider.
- However, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman expressed confidence that Axiom suits will be ready for the 2028 mission, and sources tell Ars the program is making good progress with over 950 hours of crewed pressurized testing completed.
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NASA's Inspector General released a report Monday examining the agency's lunar spacesuit procurement, warning that the sole remaining contractor Axiom Space may not deliver flight-ready suits until 2031—five years behind NASA's 2028 lunar landing target. After Collins Aerospace dropped out of the xEVAS contract competition in 2024, NASA is left with one provider. However, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman expressed confidence that Axiom suits will be ready for the 2028 mission, and sources tell Ars the program is making good progress with over 950 hours of crewed pressurized testing completed.
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This article was originally published by Ars Technica.
