Critical Step Toward Returning to the Moon
London, November 20, 2025, (Oilandgaspress) –– KBR and Axiom Space successfully completed the first uncrewed thermal vacuum test of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) Pressure Garment, which is designed to support astronauts during the Artemis III mission – the first crewed lunar landing in more than 50 years. The test simulated the vacuum and extreme temperatures of space to evaluate the spacesuit’s thermal performance and advanced materials.
This milestone marks a critical next step in collecting data on how the suit will endure the harsh environment on the moon during the Artemis III mission. It is the first in a series of increasingly complex tests as Axiom Space moves toward the suit qualification phase with NASA. The KBR and Axiom Space team has completed the first dual-suit run at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL), is completing the final integration testing in the NBL and has achieved over 700 hours of crewed pressurized time in the spacesuit. The AxEMU is currently in the critical design phase.
“KBR is proud to partner with Axiom Space on this major milestone in preparing for humanity’s return to the moon,” said Mark Kavanaugh, KBR’s President, Defense, Intel and Space. “This achievement reflects KBR’s position as a leader in human spaceflight innovation and our ability to deliver mission-critical solutions that advance NASA’s Artemis program. Our expertise and collaboration with Axiom Space continue to strengthen KBR’s role in enabling the future of human exploration beyond Earth.”
The test was conducted inside the thermal vacuum chamber at KBR’s Aerospace Environment Protection Laboratory (AEPL) in San Antonio, Texas. The KBR and Axiom Space teams worked side by side to enable this integral test from concept to execution in less than one month.
From a historical perspective, it was the first time the AxEMU spacesuit was tested at AEPL – the same facility where Apollo astronauts trained for their historic moon landings. For more than 60 years, this facility has been used by the aerospace community, including during the Apollo and Space Shuttle missions and in support of the Blue Angels and commercial spaceflight crews.
“This successful test produced data to inform the AxEMU’s performance and readiness for operational use on the lunar surface,” said Russell Ralston, Axiom Space general manager of extravehicular activity. “It was important to evaluate the thermal performance of the new materials we’ve incorporated into the suit design and to see how the suit’s advanced protection will enable astronauts to work at the lunar south pole and in the permanently shadowed regions for at least two hours.”
KBR’s role in this achievement is part of the Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) contract, which supports development of the next-generation spacesuit. The suit is designed to be more versatile, reliable and adaptable to the evolving needs of space exploration, including future missions to the moon and beyond. Testing is critical to validating the suit’s performance and confirming its readiness for operational use.
Together, KBR and Axiom Space continue to support the next era of human space exploration, helping astronauts train, suit up and safely carry out missions in space.
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