Former astronaut on lunar spacesuits: "I don't think they're great right now"

Former NASA astronaut Kate Rubins criticized the lunar spacesuits being developed for Artemis Moon missions, calling them inadequate despite improvements over Apollo-era equipment. The new Axiom spacesuits weigh over 300 pounds compared to Apollo's 185-pound suits, making lunar operations extremely demanding for astronauts conducting daily eight-hour spacewalks. Rubins described testing the suits as "extreme physical stress" that leaves astronauts bruised and exhausted, with challenges including difficulty bending, balance issues from shifted center of gravity, and potential for falls on the lunar surface.