Nåva Space Conducts EVA Suit Test Campaign at LUNA Facility
The Norwegian aerospace company Nåva Space has successfully completed a field test campaign of its non-pressurized EVA suit development platform at the LUNA analogue facility in Cologne. The campaign marks an important step in the development of future European extravehicular activity (EVA) suit systems.
The campaign was conducted between 23 June and 1 July 2025 and included eleven structured test runs carried out over seven working days. ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer participated as a test subject during the campaign, amongst others. LUNA is jointly developed and operated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA) to support the preparation of future human and robotic lunar missions.
EVA Suit Development Platform
The tested system is a non-pressurized EVA analogue suit developed by Nåva Space as a technology and validation platform. While not flight-ready, the suit enables iterative testing and development of EVA suit architectures, bridging early-stage concept development and future space-rated systems.
The development platform integrates:
- A full composite chassis (hard upper torso and brief)
- Mechanical systems including shoulder bearings, complete shoulder assemblies, and hip and waist mechanisms
- A simplified life support system
- A complete visor assembly
- Sensor systems capturing physiological, cognitive, and suit performance data
- A modular architecture allowing component exchange and rapid iteration
The platform is designed to collect performance data in mission-relevant analogue environments and to incorporate structured user feedback into subsequent design iterations. The long-term objective is to support the development of a fully operational EVA suit suitable for both low Earth orbit (Microgravity LEO) and planetary surface missions.
Objectives of the LUNA Campaign
The LUNA campaign provided a realistic testing environment for evaluating the suit under analogue mission conditions, including terrain navigation, tool handling, dynamic movement, dust exposure, and system usability. Additional evaluations included eye-tracking, cognitive workload assessment, physiological monitoring, and mechanical performance of the suit systems.
Testing alongside other analogue suits enabled comparative assessments and supported the identification of potential design improvements. Feedback was gathered from professional astronaut trainers and astronauts with operational spacesuit experience.
Astronaut Participation
ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer participated exclusively as a test subject during the campaign. He was not involved in the design or engineering of the suit. His feedback focused on functional performance and usability of the non-pressurized analogue suit in the LUNA environment.
Maurer has extensive experience working in EVA suits, including performing a spacewalk during his mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
“Nåva Space has developed a promising analogue suit that performed well during our first unpressurized tests,” said Matthias Maurer.
Collaboration and Research Involvement
The campaign was supported by a multidisciplinary research team, including:
- King’s College London, contributing expertise in perceptual and motor behavior,
- University College London, providing anthropological and human factors analysis,
- Royal College of Art, supporting user experience design and sensory mapping.
Nåva Space highlighted the collaboration with the LUNA team, DLR, and ESA as a key factor in the successful execution of the campaign.
“The LUNA test marks a key step toward the development of a European EVA suit,” said Christoffer B. Andreassen, CEO of Nåva Space. “The data and operational feedback gathered during this campaign are fundamental for future space-rated systems.”
“We are moving from early design concepts to structured, user-centered testing,” added Nima Shahinian, Founder and Head of Development at Nåva Space. “The campaign demonstrates how analogue facilities such as LUNA enable meaningful EVA suit development here on Earth.”
Following the campaign, the suit has returned to Oslo for analysis and preparation for the next test phase, scheduled to begin in late summer 2025 in Norway.