They began as tinfoil-like onesies that first took humanity beyond the confines of Earth. But NASA's spacesuits have evolved dramatically through the years to help astronauts survive in the vacuum of space and ultimately allow a man to hop, skip and jump on the moon. Now, the US space agency has revealed its next generation of spacesuit -- expected to be ready for the Artemis III mission that could land the first woman and first person of colour on the lunar surface by 2025. The new suit is said to be a better fit for female space travellers and comes with specialist features to support astronauts as they carry out scientific experiments on the moon. But what were the various spacesuits that came before it?

While the idea of living on Mars may sound like the plot of the latest science fiction blockbuster, firms including NASA and SpaceX are seriously considering it as a possibility. Several challenges currently stand in our way, including building a self-sufficient spacecraft that can take crew safely, and finding a way to shield astronauts from dangerous solar and cosmic radiation - not to mention enabling them to live in microgravity on a planet with no atmosphere. This week, Lord Martin Rees, one of the country's leading astronomers, claimed that the obvious solution to some of these problems is making future explorers part-cyborg. Lord Rees told the Hay Festival: 'These intrepid explorers on Mars will be out of the clutches of the regulators and they will have every incentive to modify themselves because they are very badly adapted for Mars. 'They will use all these techniques to adapt themselves.

NASA has selected a number of futuristic technology concepts, that could be used to help humanity spread throughout the solar system and beyond. A total of 17 researchers from nine states will share in a $5.1 million grant from NASA, allowing them to run early-stage studies into the yet-to-be-developed technologies. Among the ideas given a share of the funding are space suits that can generate oxygen from the Martian atmosphere, and bird-like drones that can fly on Venus. Known as the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, it was launched to nurture visionary ideas that could transform future space missions'with the creation of breakthroughs, radically better, or entirely new aerospace concepts'. If they come to fruition the technologies could also allow NASA to explore the moons of the gas giant world's, or look into the atmosphere of an exoplanet.

It looks like mankind won't be going back to the moon … on schedule, at least. According to a recent report by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's inspector general, astronaut suits have been delayed by two years due to an array of technical, funding and COVID-related challenges. But, the unavoidable conclusion, "a lunar landing in late 2024 as NASA currently plans is not feasible," is hardly surprising given NASA's string of failures in trying to take humanity back to the lunar surface. The failures also speak to a larger strategic mistake that places inordinate importance on planting flags on alien worlds despite the practical and scientific disadvantages of that approach. Humanity can venture to infinity and beyond while avoiding the black hole of wasteful spending.

Nasa has cancelled the first ever all-female spacewalk, saying it doesn't have enough spacesuits ready in the right size. Two of the astronauts currently on the International Space Station – Christina Koch and Anne McClain – had been set to head out of the floating lab to instal powerful new batteries on the outside to charge up from its solar arrays. But now the space agency says a problem with spacesuits will mean Ms McClain is unable to take part in the spacewalk, and she will be replaced by a man, fellow Nasa astronaut Nick Hague. We'll tell you what's true. You can form your own view.

Before Neil Armstrong took one giant leap on the moon, Nasa looked to a robot for help with testing the crew's spacesuits. The 1965 PDAD (Power Driven Articulated Dummy) robot simulated 35 basic human motions and used sensors to gather data on how the human body would act in pressurized suits - but it never fulfilled its mission due to a tendency to leak oil. Now, the metallic astronaut is set to be sold along with 100 other'Remarkable Rarities' from RR Auction, who has marked Nasa's reject robot with an 80,000 price tag. 'Only two of the test robot's were produced -- the other is on display and owned by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum,' Robert Livingston, RR Auction executive vice president, in a statement to collectSpace. 'This [robot] was purchased as surplus from the University of Maryland.' The auction will be hosted online starting September 15 and finish with a live sale at the Royal Sonesta Boston on September.