Space ‘look’ of the day: why can’t astronauts wear black on the Moon?

Have you ever stopped to think why the astronauts Do they always wear white clothes when they are on the moon? Has no one thought of adopting a new color for clothes, like black, for example, since it is such a common color in people’s daily lives?

Well, it seems that there is a good reason why astronauts wear white suits on such an important mission. Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the mission Artemis 3which will take our astronauts to an unexplored part of the Moon: the southern region, which promises to be very cold.

The mission is scheduled to take place in 2025 and, until then, NASA will need to develop several equipment, including a suit that can withstand the entire trip.

That’s exactly what happened recently when Axiom Space showed off the new suits that will be used by astronauts on this mission. However, unlike what we usually see, the demonstration featured a black version.

See the image below:

The next generation spacesuit. @NASA selected @Axiom_Space to develop the suits for the Artemis III mission to the lunar surface. The first prototype was revealed today during an event at Space Center Houston in Texas. https://t.co/qW96kLYIxl pic.twitter.com/icFDxv60IU

— NASA’s Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) March 15, 2023

“The next generation spacesuit. @NASA has selected @Axiom_Space to develop the spacesuits for the Artemis III mission to the lunar surface. The first prototype was unveiled today during an event at Space Center Houston in Texas.”

However, this will not be the color our astronauts will wear, due to certain factors. Black was chosen to prevent competitors from copying their suits, Axiom Space. As far as we know, it will only be used once, when the Artemis 3 project goes into action.

Why do astronaut suits have to be white?

Contrary to what many people think, choosing the color of a spacesuit has nothing to do with style or personal preference, but rather with the color that best suits the mission.

When astronauts are in places like the Moon, they need to be extremely careful, because here on Earth, the sun’s rays reach them with less intensity, which is not the case on the Moon. There, the astronaut ends up receiving solar radiation, which can reach extreme temperatures, such as 200°C if exposed to light or -180°C if in the shade.

Considering these factors, astronauts need to wear the right suits for the mission. And this is where the reason why it would not be feasible to have a black suit comes in: the color would absorb much more heat contained in the place, both on hot and cold days.

With white clothing, it is more likely that there will be much greater protection, in addition to helping the astronauts with their movement. It is worth mentioning that it is necessary to maintain an adequate temperature inside the clothing, in addition to filling it with air to provide more protection to the user.