A German medical device manufacturer of defibrillation and patient monitoring systems is on the cusp of concluding a collaboration with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to provide safety provisions for the agency’s next-generation spacesuits.
Hamburg-based company Corscience first partnered with NASA in 2024 to develop a carbon dioxide (CO₂) washout test system for spacesuits set to be worn by the agency’s astronauts in the upcoming Artemis II and III missions.
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The system was devised as a means of verifying that the suits met CO₂ washout performance requirements, while also lowering helmet noise and reducing ventilation flow requirements. Inadequate washout from astronauts’ helmets can result in diminished mental and cognitive function and cause symptoms such as nausea and light headedness.
To meet NASA’s requirements, the agency selected Corscience’s CAP201, a capnography module the company original designed for emergency, clinical and MRI-related medical systems and applications. The module uses non-dispersive infrared spectroscopy to measure CO₂ and features a sensor to automatically account for and recalibrate any air pressure or temperature deviations that may interfere with the accuracy of the module’s capnography reading.
Capnography refers to a non-invasive monitoring method for determining the concentration or partial pressure of CO₂ in exhaled breath and used to ascertain real-time information about an individual’s ventilatory status.
Corscience modified its technology to meet NASA’s need for a wider operational pressure range and the ability to adjust the CAP201 module’s flow rate and stated that the mandated customisations to its CAP201 module are now almost complete, bringing the collaboration to a close.
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By GlobalDataCorscience CEO Dr Jörg Pintaske commented: “This collaboration underscores the versatility of our systems and the deep expertise of our team. We are proud to have NASA recognise the quality of our solutions and to contribute to the safety of future space exploration.”
Artemis II is slated for launch in February 2026. Four astronauts, wearing the NASA-Corscience-developed spacesuits, will perform a flyby of the Moon and return to Earth, becoming the first crew to travel beyond low Earth orbit (distances under 1,200 miles from Earth) in more than 50 years. In mid-2027, Artemis III will launch. The 30-day mission will involve landing two astronauts on the Moon’s South Pole – a feat that has not been achieved since NASA’s Apollo 17 mission in December 1972.
In recent years, NASA has been a supporter of technologies aiming to advance manufacturing in space. To date, the agency has provided over $38m in financing to companies in the space manufacturing sector, including Auxilium, which was one of eight research proposals accepted by the NASA in April 2022, paving the way for the company’s recent installation of a 3D printer on the International Space Station (ISS).
