As the United States prepares to send astronauts back to the moon, China is making significant strides of its own. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) is aiming to land its astronauts on the lunar surface before 2030, and they recently unveiled their new lunar spacesuit to aid in this mission. However, the name of the suit has yet to be announced.
According to a report by Space News, the CMSA showcased their new extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuit at an event on September 28 in Chongqing, China. The suit was modeled by Wang Yaping, the country’s second female astronaut, alongside her fellow astronaut Zhai Zhigang. The presentation focused primarily on the suit’s exterior design, which is notably slimmer and lighter compared to the CMSA’s previous Feitian EVA suits, used for missions in low Earth orbit. The new suits are designed with a protective fabric to withstand extreme temperatures and lunar dust. Enhancements include a panoramic, anti-glare visor, and both short- and long-range cameras to provide better visibility and functionality while on the moon.
In addition to practicality, the design team’s focus included the look of the suits. According to CNN, the predominantly white suits feature flowing red stripes on the upper sections, which are inspired by the “flying apsaras,” divine figures from ancient Chinese culture. The more rigid red stripes on the lower part of the suit are intended to resemble “flames from rocket launches.” CMSA’s engineering office director, Zhang Wanxin, mentioned to CCTV that these elements symbolize strength and resilience. Additionally, CMSA officials announced that the public will have a chance to help name the new suits, with details to be revealed later.
Credit: CMSA
Recently, China concluded its Chang’e-6 mission, successfully retrieving the first-ever samples from the moon’s far side. The CMSA is planning further robotic missions to the lunar south pole in 2026 and 2028 to conduct resource assessments in preparation for a potential permanent lunar base. If all goes according to plan, Chinese astronauts could spend up to six hours on the moon’s surface before returning home by the decade’s end.
China is not alone in updating astronaut gear. Last year, NASA showcased its next-gen extravehicular design created by Axiom Space. Additionally, the Polaris Dawn mission conducted the first-ever commercial spacewalk, introducing SpaceX’s latest spacesuit. Looking ahead, NASA aims to send its Artemis 3 astronauts on a lunar orbit as soon as September 2026, although this timeline may be postponed. The Artemis 4 lunar landing is also projected for 2028, although it’s likely that date could shift as well.
Credit: CMSA
