太空探索：美国宇航局如何打造新一代登月航天服？

Later this decade, humans will stand on the lunar surface once more. The suits they will wear will be far more advanced than those of the Apollo astronauts.

21世纪20年代后期，人类将再次登月，他们所穿的航天服将比“阿波罗”航天员的航天服先进得多。

It will be the ultimate catwalk.

这将是一场终极时装秀。

In 2025, when Nasa's Artemis III mission returns humanity to the Moon, billions of eyes will focus on two astronauts. And what they're wearing. Although the astronauts will undoubtedly bounce, rather than sashay, upon the lunar surface.

2025 年，当美国宇航局的阿尔忒弥斯3号登月计划让人类重返月球时，数十亿人的目光将聚焦在两名航天员身上。还有他们穿什么，但航天员肯定会在月球表面跳跃，而不是大摇大摆地行走。

The geeks among us already had a glimpse of what's in store after a recent preview in Texas, at Nasa's Houston Space Center. There, a new spacesuit prototype made its debut for a new era of lunar travel.

我们当中的极客们最近在预览了德克萨斯州美国宇航局的休斯顿航天中心后，已经对即将发生的事情有所了解。一款新的航天服原型在那里首次亮相，开启了月球旅行的新时代。

And on display? One spacesuit, in fashionable black with flashes of orange and blue. Although, when multiple suits appear on the rack, they'll all be classic white - like those used for the Apollo missions more than 50 years ago.

那么展出的是？一套时髦的黑色航天服，带有橙蓝相间的色带。不过，当多套航天服在衣架上亮相时，它们都将是经典的白色——就像 50 多年前用于阿波罗计划的航天服一样。

Unlike Apollo, however, these lunar spacesuits will also have a new designer label: Axiom Space. Founded in 2016, this comparative newcomer of a company has already conducted the first private astronaut mission and also plans to build the first commercial space station.

不过与阿波罗计划不同的是，这批登月服还将有一个新的设计师品牌：公理航天（Axiom Space）。这家相对较新的公司成立于2016年，已经执行了首次私人航天员发射任务，并计划建造第一个商业空间站。
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"It definitely felt like we were the new kid on the block," says Mark Greeley, Axiom's EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity or spacewalk) programme manager, who has managed space suit and launch entry suit projects for Nasa throughout his career. "But many of us, probably 90% of the team, has worked in EVA in some form or fashion for their entire career."

公理航天的舱外活动或太空行走（EVA）项目经理马克·格里利表示：“感觉我们完全就像初来乍到似的”。他在整个职业生涯中一直为美国宇航局管理航天服和舱内航天服项目。“但我们中的许多人（约占团队的90%）在整个职业生涯中都以某种形式或方式参与 EVA 项目”。

Like Greeley, many Axiom Space staff are ex-Nasa with a leadership team that includes former Nasa administrator and astronaut, Charlie Bolden, as their business development consultant. There was also a touch of star quality involved in Axiom's prototype suit in the form of Esther Marquis.

与格里利一样，公理航天的许多员工都来自美国宇航局，其领导团队包括前美国宇航局局长兼航天员查理·博尔登，担任该公司的业务发展顾问。公理航天的航天服原型还带有一丝明星气质，那就是埃斯特·马奎斯（Esther Marquis）。

Marquis was lead textile designer for the Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and is the costume designer for the award-winning Apple TV+ space drama series For All Mankind.

马奎斯是漫威电影《尚气与十环传奇》的首席面料设计师，也是屡获殊荣的 Apple TV+ 太空科幻剧《为了全人类》的服装设计师。

"With any design challenge there is a level of engagement and commitment one undertakes to achieve the requested goal," says Marquis. "I was eager to apply ideas obtained from my experiences."

“设计上的任何挑战都需要一定程度的敬业和投入才能达到目标要求”，马奎斯说。“我渴望运用从自身经验中获取的想法”。

The new suit was unveiled to the public, with black coverings to conceal some of the more secret parts of its design

新款航天服公开亮相，黑色遮盖物盖住了比较保密的设计部位。

And there was good reason for the prototype suit's outer layer being black.

航天服原型的外层被设计成黑色是有原因的。

"My job was to design a 'Custom Cover Layer' to conceal the suit's proprietary design during the spacesuit reveal event held in March," she says. "I am very familiar with historical spacesuits having used them on our show. I wanted to pay homage to that legacy and celebrate space exploration. It was a terrific opportunity to meet and talk about spacesuit design with a company that is actually sending individuals to space and I was delighted to discover that Axiom spacesuit engineers are indeed artists, creatively solving complex problems."

“我的工作是设计一款‘定制的遮盖层’，以便在三月份举行的航天服发布会期间遮盖航天服的专利设计”，她说道。“我非常熟悉历史上的航天服在我们的节目中都曾使用过遮盖层。我想向这一遗产致敬，并庆祝太空探索。这是一个绝佳的机会，可以与一家真正将个人送入太空的公司当面探讨航天服的设计，我惊喜地发现公理航天的航天服工程师真的是艺术家，能够创造性地解决复杂的问题”。

Hand and machine sewing often plays an important role within the space industry – be it on spacesuits, the fabric between the Space Shuttle tiles or on the heat shields of the BepiColombo mission to Mercury.

手工和机器缝纫通常在航天工业中发挥着重要作用——包括航天服、航天飞机绝热瓦之间的织物、比皮科伦坡水星探测器的隔热罩表面的织物。

"It takes a lot of expert seamstresses, or soft goods technicians, to do that kind of work," agrees Greeley. "And they're truly artists."

格里利表示赞同：“这需要许多专业女裁缝或纺织品技术人员来完成此类工作”。“他们是真正的艺术家”。

First and foremost, of course, the new lunar spacesuits are essential, life-supporting pieces of equipment to supply air and protect astronauts from radiation and micrometeoroids. Despite the legacy, there's always room for improvement.

当然，首要的是，新款月球航天服是维持生命必不可少的设备，用于供应空气和保护航天员免受辐射和微流星体的伤害。尽管有这份遗产，但总有改进的空间。

"Apollo used zippers, metal cables and rubber in the suits that were 1960s technology and fine when used for one mission but that's no longer the case," says Bill Ayrey, author of the book Lunar Outfitters: Making the Apollo Space Suit.

《月球装备店：制造阿波罗航天服》一书的作者比尔·艾雷表示：“阿波罗号的航天服使用了拉链、金属缆绳、橡胶，这些都是 20 世纪 60 年代的技术，在一次性任务中使用效果很好，但现在情况不同了”。
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"The biggest advances came just after Apollo when the Shuttle suit was designed and made up of many components that could be switched out to accommodate a wider range of crew members," says Ayrey, a former space suit test engineer and historian at ILC Dover. This is the company that made the Apollo suits and those used by astronauts today performing spacewalks from the International Space Station (ISS). ILC Dover is one of Collins Aerospace's partners for making new spacesuits for the ISS.

“最大的进步出现在阿波罗计划之后，当时的航天服被设计成由许多可替换的部件组成，以适应更广泛的机组人员”，ILC Dover公司的前航天服测试工程师和历史学家艾雷说道。这家公司制造过阿波罗航天服，以及当今在国际空间站外进行太空行走的航天员所穿的航天服。ILC Dover是Collins Aerospace公司为国际空间站制造新款航天服的合作伙伴之一。

Many spacesuit materials for both environments still originate from the 1950s and 60s and include spandex, in the snug suit layer for liquid cooling ventilation; Mylar for insulation; Kevlar, which is used in bulletproof vests; flame resistant Nomex, worn by racing drivers; and urethane-coated nylon which can have welded seams and is typically used for the innermost airtight pressure garment 'bladder'.

许多适用于舱内外两种环境的航天服材料仍然源自20世纪五六十年代，其中包括用于液冷和通风的氨纶舒适层；用于绝缘的聚酯薄膜；用于防弹背心的凯芙拉纤维；赛车手穿的诺梅克斯阻燃面料；涂有氨基甲酸乙酯的尼龙可以有焊缝，通常用于最里层的气密性压力服的内胆。

The new spacesuits for the lunar surface won''t be as bulky as the ones currently used on spacewalks

用于登月的新款航天服不会像目前太空行走中使用的航天服那么笨重。

"Today's suits will utilise advanced composites," says Ayrey, "and other materials to provide structural strength and allow for sizing adjustments and provide greater comfort while also providing an extended lifespan of the suit components."

“如今的航天服将采用先进的复合材料”，艾雷说道，“以及其他材料来提供结构强度，并考虑了尺寸调节，穿起来更加舒适，同时延长航天服部件的使用寿命”。

The sizing is important. In 2019 Nasa had to delay its first all-female spacewalk because the ISS did not have enough spacesuits in the right size.

尺寸很重要。2019 年，由于国际空间站没有足够的合适尺寸的航天服，美国宇航局不得不推迟了首次全女性航天员太空行走。
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However, since Nasa had already begun work on the new suit before turning it over to industry, Axiom did not have to begin with a blank page. "We started making modifications where designs weren't closed or complete or where our team's expertise knew that we could make improvements," says Greeley.

然而，由于美国宇航局在将新款航天服移交给业界之前就已经开始了研究工作，所以公理航天不必从头开始。“我们开始进行修改，包括设计尚未结束或不完整的地方，以及我们团队的专家知道有待于改进的地方”，格里利说道。

"There are a few components, like the hard upper torso and the helmet bubble, that were pretty mature in design but we completely redesigned the pressure garment system. We also reduced [the suit's] mass – a big change, we've taken 20lbs (9kg) out of the suit so far – and we increased mobility."

“有几个部件在设计上相当成熟，例如：硬质上躯干、泡泡头盔，但我们完全重新设计了压力衣系统。我们还减少了航天服的重量——这是一个重大变化，到目前为止我们已经使航天服减轻了20 磅（9公斤）重量——我们还提高了机动能力”。

The angle of the helmet on the Axiom suit no longer resembles a traditional upturned Apollo goldfish bowl either, as it is tilted with extended viewing below the horizon. "For lunar spacesuits, the astronauts are looking down most of the time."

“公理航天”航天服的头盔视角也不再像传统朝上的阿波罗鱼缸式头盔，因为新头盔是倾斜的，视野可以延伸到地平线以下。“穿着登月服的航天员大部分时间都在注视下方”。

The Moon also has one-sixth of Earth's gravity and this affects the design. "Lunar spacesuits need to be light in weight because they are used in a gravity environment," says Ayrey. "Also, planetary and lunar suits must provide excellent lower torso mobility since you are walking in a gravity environment and not just floating around."

月球的引力是地球的六分之一，这会影响设计。“登月服需要重量轻，因为它们是在重力环境下使用的”，艾雷说道。“此外，行星服和登月服必须提供出色的下躯干机动能力，因为你是在重力环境中行走，而不仅仅是漂浮”。

Former Nasa astronaut, Peggy Whitson, described the prototype as "a great example of what innovation can do. This is going to be a much more flexible suit."

前美国宇航局的航天员佩吉·惠特森将这款航天服原型描述为“创新的好榜样，这将是一款更加灵活的航天服”。

More than 50 years will separate the suits worn by Apollo programme Moon explorers and the Artemis astronauts

阿波罗计划月球探险者和阿尔忒弥斯号航天员所穿的航天服将相隔50多年。
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She should know. Whitson currently holds the world record for the longest cumulative time in space (665 days) and, as Axiom's head of human spaceflight, is set to extend that record even further on 8 May as commander of Ax-2, the company's second private mission to the ISS. Several astronauts, including Whitson, also had input into the new suit.

她应该知道。惠特森目前保持着在太空中累计停留时间最长的世界纪录（665 天），作为公理航天载人航天部门的负责人，他将于 5 月 8 日作为 Ax-2 任务的指挥官，准备进一步延长这一记录，Ax-2 是该公司第二次向国际空间站运送私人航天员的任务。包括惠特森在内的几位航天员也对新款航天服提出了意见。

"I think the most common comment from astronauts is keep it simple," says Greeley. For the gloves, it's to make sure "they have the right dexterity and keep their hands warm or cool, depending on the environment. Having worked on multiple programmes, I would say our gloves are probably the best that I've seen."

“我认为航天员最普遍的意见是保持简单”，格里利说。确保手套“具有适当的灵活性，并根据环境保持双手温暖或凉爽。在参与多个项目后，我想说我们的手套可能是我见过的最好的”。

Temperatures on the lunar surface are extreme. Unlike the Earth, the Moon has a cycle of around 14 days daylight and 14 days night. During darkness, temperatures can drop to -253C (-424F), and reach up to 120C (250F) during sunlight. The Apollo astronauts needed that solar power, as will Artemis crew members, and their suits were white to reflect heat and keep body temperatures from becoming dangerously high.

月球表面的温度非常高。与地球不同，月球的周期约为 14 天白天和 14 天夜晚。夜晚温度可降至-253C (-424F)，白天温度可达120C (250F)。阿波罗号的航天员需要太阳能，阿尔忒弥斯号的航天员也是如此，他们的航天服是白色的，可以反射热量，防止体温升至危险的高位。

During the Apollo missions the ultra-fine moondust, or regolith, interfered with instruments, caused radiators to overheat and damaged spacesuits. "It will be critical to assure that lunar dust cannot penetrate into the inner layers, the metal bearings and other components," says Ayrey.

在阿波罗任务期间，超细的月球尘埃或风化层会干扰仪器，导致散热器过热并损坏航天服。艾雷说：“确保月球尘埃不会渗透到内层、金属轴承及其他部件是至关重要的”。

Once complete, the new lunar Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit must undergo a test in a space-like environment. A Nasa spokesperson outlined what's required: "An analogue demo could consist of taking place underwater using weight relief, using a thermal vacuum chamber or other methods approved by Nasa."

一旦设计完成，新的月球舱外机动装置（AxEMU）航天服必须在类似太空的环境中接受测试。美国宇航局发言人概述了要求：“模拟演示可分为失重的水下环境、利用热真空舱、以及美国宇航局批准的其他方法”。

The final test, of course, will be on the Moon itself. Failure there is definitely not an option.

当然，最终的测试将在月球上进行。只能成功，不许失败。