NASA orders spacesuits for Artemis III mission

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NASA’s Johnson Space Center has announced plans to award a contract to the David Clark Company Inc. (DCCI) to produce additional Orion Crew Survival Systems (OCSS) suits. These suits are intended for use in the Artemis III mission and subsequent flights as the agency continues its push to expand human presence in deep space.

According to a presolicitation contract document released on Wednesday, the contract will start the production of flight crew suits and backup hardware, as well as equipment for critical integrated-system tests and astronaut training. NASA identified DCCI as the sole source capable of meeting the requirements for the Artemis mission architecture, noting that the company’s hardware has already completed the necessary qualification efforts to ensure compatibility with the Orion spacecraft.

OCSS Model S1041 Space Suit

The OCSS Model S1041 suit is considered the most capable launch-and-entry suit ever flown. Designed specifically for the Orion vehicle, the suit provides protection during dynamic phases of flight, such as launch and re-entry. Beyond its role as a survival garment, the OCSS serves as a secondary pressure environment. In the event of cabin depressurization in deep space, the suit is qualified to support the crew for up to six days.

Artemis II Mission

The decision to continue with DCCI follows the successful execution of the Artemis II mission. Launched on April 1, Artemis II marked the first time in over 50 years that humans returned to deep space. During that ten-day mission, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, utilized the Model S1041 suits for launch and re-entry. The crew also conducted essential in-flight pressurized tests on April 5 to verify the suits' performance in microgravity.

Looking forward, DCCI is shifting its focus toward manufacturing hardware for Artemis III—currently designated as a Low Earth Orbit test flight—and the subsequent Artemis IV and V missions, which are slated to return humans to the lunar surface.

In addition to its work with NASA on survival suits, DCCI is collaborating with Axiom Space to develop specialized garments for astronauts to wear during extravehicular activities (EVAs) on the Moon.

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