NASA unveiled prototypes for its new spacesuit on Tuesday.
The suits — the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unite (xEMU) and the Orion Crew Survival System — were designed for the Artemis program, which will see the first woman and the next man land on the moon in 2024.
The red, white and blue xEMU was created so people can walk around the lunar surface, while the bright orange Orion Crew Survival System is to be worn while the astronauts launch from Earth and come back.
Aside from safety, the new suits were designed with mobility in mind.
“This is the first suit we’ve designed in about 40 years,” Chris Hansen, manager of NASA’s spacesuit design office, said, according to Reuters. “We want systems that allow our astronauts to be scientists on the surface of the moon.”
According to NPR, the xEMU includes a metal ring around its midsection, giving future astronauts an easier time getting around the moon than their Apollo-era counterparts had.
Another aspect of the suits that will give astronauts more mobility is a new shoulder placement in the upper torso, allowing them to move their arms in a range of motion, according to CNN.
“The mobility is one of the biggest things,” astronaut Kate Rubins said at the event. She also noted that, in order to be able to pick things up or set up scientific equipment, you need more upper torso mobility.
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine also noted that the suits will be one-size-fits-all.
“The Artemis generation of spacesuits will fit everyone,” he said. “We want every person who dreams of going into space to have that opportunity.”
The Apollo moon suit, which is called the Extravehicular Mobility Unit, was so restrictive that many astronauts found it more effective to take advantage of the moon’s low gravity and “bunny hop” around, instead of walking, according to NPR.
In March, the Trump administration called for NASA to send people to the moon by 2024. The goal is to make a voyage to Mars.
“Ultimately the goal is this: We’re going to Mars,” Bridenstine said. “And in order to go to Mars, we need to use the moon as a proving ground.”