January 22, 2020
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing the Lightweight and Robust Exploration Space Suit (LARESS). This new spacesuit is needed to support a mission objective of returning to the Moon. The LARESS is different from the current spacesuits in that it is designed for walking and prioritizes lower body movement. TenCate Advanced Armor USA is supporting NASA in this development effort by providing composite materials for the spacesuit.
The LARESS program will mature new technologies to develop a lightweight space suit structure that is needed to safely explore the Moon and Mars. This will be accomplished by a cyclic development program to balance material weight, impact performance, manufacturability, and mobility to identify the optimal overall suit material. The program will require an extensive research effort; the target for NASA to have a demonstration configuration on the International Space Station (ISS) is in the 2023 – 2025 timeframe.
TenCate Advanced Armor USA has extensive experience developing and manufacturing lightweight, high-performance composites, with excellent impact resistance based on years of effort in the ballistics industry. In addition, with the founding of the TenCate Technical Center USA (TTC-USA), TenCate Advanced Armor USA has engaged in more detailed work manipulating and designing composite structures to protect against high impact threats. This experience enables TenCate Advanced Armor to support NASA with developing the next-generation space suit.
