Astronauts Need New Boots For Their Next Visit To The Moon, Since It Can Dip To -369 Degrees Fahrenheit
The United States will return to the moon with NASA’s Artemis program. The moon contains one of the most extreme environments that astronauts can encounter.
So, for them to walk on the lunar surface, they will need new and improved boots and spacesuits for their own protection.
The Apollo program made the journey to the moon about 50 years ago. Back then, astronauts landed on the milder equatorial regions of the moon, where the coldest temperatures reached -9 degrees Fahrenheit.
For the Artemis missions, astronauts will be taken to the extreme polar regions, where temperatures can get as low as -369 degrees Fahrenheit.
The equipment from the Apollo program was designed for short-term stays in a moderate zone. It will certainly not be suitable for longer stays in a much harsher area.
Researchers at the University of North Dakota are exploring how extreme environments affect human movement. They are working on creating equipment that will protect astronauts on the moon.
One of the most important pieces of gear that an astronaut will need in space is their boots. The boots must allow for flexible movement outside the spacecraft while also holding up against the hostile environmental conditions of the lunar poles.
The boots will need to retain heat since the lunar poles are so frigid. The current version of the lunar boot incorporates a rigid thermal plate, which is usually found in the sole of the boot. These plates are solid and do not bend. They were not used during the earlier Apollo missions.
The plates may help keep astronauts’ feet warm, but they prevent the footwear from flexing. The stiffness stops the foot from moving naturally and especially affects the joint at the big toe, or the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. The MTP joint bends and flexes to enable normal walking and running patterns.
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When you walk, the MTP joint lets your big toe extend forward. This extension triggers a process in your foot that makes it go from being soft and flexible when it lands to strong and stiff as you push off for your next step. The rigidity helps your foot support your body weight. This process is called the “windlass mechanism.”
If the windlass mechanism is essential for walking around on the moon, the inflexible boots could pose a real problem and ultimately impact astronauts’ health on the moon.
Astronauts should be fine over a few days or weeks, but it’s a different story if they’ll be staying on the moon for months. They could develop a foot injury that affects other parts of the body.
An injury in the lower part of the body causes the upper part to exert more effort in order to compensate for the limited functions of the lower part, leading to further injury up the chain.
More research still needs to be done to learn more about walking under lunar gravity and improve spacesuit designs.
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