NASA
NASA astronaut Jeff Williams is seen in 2006 during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station.
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The iconic puffy white suits that astronauts donned for decades when they stepped off the International Space Station are quickly aging — but NASA doesn’t have concrete plans to replace them right now.
The space agency announced Wednesday that it is exiting contracts worth more than $100 million with Collins Aerospace — a division of RTX Corporation, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, and a longtime NASA partner — to develop next-generation spacesuits.
According to NASA, Collins and the space agency have “mutually agreed” to end the deal that committed the company to deliver the suits by 2026.
“This action was agreed upon after Collins recognized that its development timeline would not support the space station plan and NASA’s mission goals,” NASA said in a blog post.
Collins did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday morning.
Astronauts currently wear spacesuits — called Extravehicular Activity, or EVA, suits — designed more than 40 years ago when performing spacewalks.
Trent Sugg/Collins Aerospace/PR Newswire
The Collins Aerospace Next-Gen space suit, intended for use on the International Space Station, is seen during the design process. NASA and Collins have agreed to end the development agreement, according to the space agency.
Earlier this week, NASA abandoned plans to remove a faulty electronics box outside the space station after the EVA suit worn by astronaut Tracy Dyson leaked. The problem affected the spacesuit’s cooling unit, which keeps the astronauts at a comfortable temperature while working.
It is not yet clear how or if NASA will renew or replace plans to develop a new generation of EVA suits for the space station.
One other company, Houston-based Axiom Space, has a contract with NASA worth up to nearly $230 million to develop new spacesuits under the same program that Collins ran. But Axiom clothing is designed to be worn on the moon.
NASA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the Axiom suits could be redesigned for use on the space station.
SpaceX, another key NASA partner that transports astronauts to and from the International Space Station, is also developing its own EVA suit.
But those plans focus on providing protection for four astronauts on a mission called Polaris Dawn, a purely private venture funded by financial billionaire Jared Isaacman that could take off as early as this summer. Polaris Dawn could mark the first spacewalk by a private company and a civilian astronaut.
SpaceX unveiled designs for its EVA suits in May.
SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment on whether NASA had reviewed these suit designs or considered using them on the International Space Station. The Elon Musk-led company typically does not respond to inquiries from news organizations.
NASA plans to retire the space station sometime in the next few years. In a separate press release detailing plans to destroy the space station after it leaves, the federal agency noted that it is committed to continuing to operate the space station until 2030. But Roskosmos, Russia’s space agency, has only guaranteed its participation “until at least 2028.” . .”