When NASA astronauts practice for moonwalks, they do not begin on the lunar floor — they usually start underwater. For a long time, NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) has been the premier coaching floor for astronauts studying how one can transfer, work, and problem-solve within the closest Earth-based simulation of microgravity. It’s inside this huge 6.2-million-gallon pool that crews rehearse every little thing from International Space Station repairs to complicated lunar floor duties.
Now with the upcoming Artemis missions to the moon, astronauts are coaching in a brand new sort of go well with: the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or AxEMU, designed by Axiom Space to assist the primary human moonwalks in additional than 50 years.
What is it?
The AxEMU represents an upgrade from the Apollo-era suits and even the current ISS units. It’s built to offer greater mobility, improved match throughout a wider vary of physique sizes, upgraded life-support programs, and higher instruments for scientific operations on the lunar floor.
Because Artemis astronauts might want to traverse uneven terrain, acquire rock samples, and work for prolonged intervals in harsh lighting and temperature extremes, coaching with the AxEMU lengthy earlier than launch is important. At the NBL, astronauts put on weighted mockups of the go well with underwater, permitting engineers and astronauts to guage maneuverability, dexterity, visibility, and total efficiency.
Where is it?
This picture was taken on the NBL at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Why is it amazing?
In September 2025, NASA completed the first dual-suit run with the AxEMU. During the test, NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Stan Love donned two fully integrated AxEMU units simultaneously, the first time the suits had been used together in a realistic operational scenario. The dual run allowed teams to assess how astronauts coordinate tasks while suited, how the life-support systems perform in tandem, and how the NBL environment supports full-scale Artemis training.
O’Hara and Love carried out simulated lunar activities, including collecting rocks, navigating obstacles, and working side by side as they would on the moon. The test also demonstrated that the facility, support systems, and training procedures are ready for the next phase of Artemis preparation.
Want to learn more?
You can learn more about NASA’s Artemis program and other moon missions.