AxEMU by Axiom Space: status and timeline

AxEMU

Enable extended surface operations on the lunar south pole by providing 8-hour EVAs with thermal protection in permanently shadowed regions reaching 40 Kelvin.

PilotStage 3 of 5

NBL testing 2026; ISS demo 2027; Artemis IV deployment 2028.

Updated Jul 2026Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · Continued NBL testing

Ground testing begins at NASA Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory2025Complete.
LCVG (Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment) unveiled2026Complete.
Continued NBL testingTarget 2026Current milestone.
ISS spacewalk demonstrationTarget 2027Not yet reached.
Hardware integration with commercial lunar landerTarget 2027Not yet reached.
First lunar surface EVA with AxEMU (Artemis IV)Target 2028Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Axiom Space highlights AxEMU spacesuit progress; ISS demo and Artemis IV deployment on trackJul 2026

Upcoming

2026Continued NBL testing (next)
2027ISS spacewalk demonstration
2027Hardware integration with commercial lunar lander
2027Artemis III hardware interface evaluation
2028First lunar surface EVA with AxEMU (Artemis IV)

Current obstacles

Extreme thermal gradients on the lunar surfacePermanently shadowed regions near the south pole reach ~40 Kelvin, while sunlit areas exceed 100 K; the suit must protect across this range during a single EVA.
Integration with commercial lunar landersEach commercial lander has different interfaces and environments; AxEMU must function with multiple lander designs.

Physics limits

Oxygen and water are consumablesEven with enhanced capacity, EVA duration is limited to 8 hours by life-support consumables; longer operations require return to habitat or resupply.
Suit mass and thermal protection trade-offMore insulation means more weight, which increases astronaut fatigue; the suit must balance protection and mobility.

How it works

3 parts

Pressure garment

Hard upper torso with modular sizing

Hard upper torso (HUT) with macro sizing (S, M, L, XL) fits 1st to 99th percentile astronauts, reducing spare inventory.

Thermal protection

Multi-layer insulation for extreme cold

Advanced insulation with Prada-designed white outer layer reflects heat. Protects against 40 K in permanently shadowed south pole regions.

Life support

In-suit nutrition and 8-hour autonomy

AxEMU features in-suit nutrition provisions and enhanced oxygen capacity, supporting continuous 8-hour surface operations without return to habitat.

Spec sheet

Spec	AxEMU
EVA duration capability	Up to 8 hours^R (reported)
Astronaut size range accommodated	1st to 99th percentile^R (reported)
Lunar south pole thermal protection	Designed for ~40 Kelvin in permanently shadowed regions^R (reported)
NASA contract amount	$1.26B total; $228.5M task order^R (reported)
Spacesuit lifecycle contract value	Up to $3.5B over 15 years^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

1 update

Jul 2026

Major: Axiom Space highlights AxEMU spacesuit progress; ISS demo and Artemis IV deployment on trackPressHardware

About Axiom Space

The team behind AxEMU

Axiom Space

Private astronaut trips, station, spacesuits

Axiom flies private and government astronauts to the ISS on SpaceX Dragon, is building a private space station that first attaches to the ISS, and makes the spacesuit NASA will use on the Moon.

Has flown four private ISS missions (Ax-1 to Ax-4); Ax-4 (June 2025) flew astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary.
NASA gave Axiom the Ax-5 mission in Jan 2026, set for no earlier than Jan 2027.
Its first station module (PPTM) is expected to reach the ISS no earlier than 2028, per its Feb 2026 financing announcement.

axiomspace.com (opens axiomspace.com)Company profile →

Founded: 201610 yrs
Headquarters: United States
Status: Private
Valuation: private
Raised: $350M1 round
Last round: Financing round · $350M12 Feb 2026
Works in: SpaceflightCrew & stations
Coverage: 2 programs · 7 updateslatest 3d agochecked 10 Oct
Lead investors: Type One VenturesQatar Investment Authority
Customers: NASA (opens nasa.gov)
Suppliers: SpaceX
People: Kam Ghaffarian (opens en.wikipedia.org)Co-founder and Executive ChairmanMichael Suffredini (opens en.wikipedia.org)Co-founderPeggy Whitson (opens en.wikipedia.org)VP of Human Spaceflight

Spec

AxEMU

EVA duration capability

Up to 8 hours^R (reported)

Astronaut size range accommodated

1st to 99th percentile^R (reported)

Lunar south pole thermal protection

Designed for ~40 Kelvin in permanently shadowed regions^R (reported)

NASA contract amount

$1.26B total; $228.5M task order^R (reported)

Spacesuit lifecycle contract value

Up to $3.5B over 15 years^R (reported)