University of Minnesota students partner with NASA to create innovative space suit designs

In a design studio on the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus, students are working on something far beyond the runway, helping solve problems for NASA's future astronauts.

At the university's School of Apparel Design, students are collaborating on projects tied directly to human spaceflight, contributing ideas that could one day influence how astronauts move, work and survive in space.

The work comes at a time of renewed excitement around NASA's Artemis program, including Artemis II, which aims to send astronauts around the moon and back as part of a broader push toward long-term lunar missions and eventually Mars.

"The mission is very inspiring," said Lucy Dunne, a professor in the College of Design. "I don't think there's no bigger challenge for functional clothing design than keeping a human alive in space."

The partnership between the university and NASA dates back to 2012, when the school's wearable technology lab began collaborating with engineers at Johnson Space Center. Each year, students are tasked with tackling real-world challenges identified by NASA teams.

This year, one group is studying how astronauts' bodies move during transitions into and out of microgravity moments that can cause motion sickness and affect performance.

Another team is focused on a more physical problem tied to future lunar missions: how astronauts sit inside their suits while operating a rover on the moon.

"For smaller astronauts, they are sinking inside of the suit because it's like a rigid structure," said student Marima Seely. "So when they sit down, they sink to the bottom of the suit. And so our job is to make them sit up higher."

The work requires students to blend design, engineering and problem-solving in ways many had never expected.

"I don't have a background in computer design or coding," said student Gene Lee. "This is all quite new for me. It's been quite a learning curve."

Lee's team is working with sensors embedded into garments to better understand how the human body moves in space, part of an effort to improve comfort and performance for astronauts.

Despite the technical challenges, students say the opportunity is what stands out most.

"The thought that anything that I do might make it into space… or be one of the stepping stones to improve space exploration is really, really exciting," Lee said.

Dunne says that outside perspectives are exactly what NASA is looking for.

"Engineers think very differently than apparel designers," she said. "Having a fresh set of eyes on these problems can be really valuable."

At the end of the month, students will travel to Johnson Space Center in Houston to present their work to NASA mentors, researchers and industry leaders. The presentations include prototypes, demonstrations and research findings developed over the semester.

While most of the concepts are still in early stages, Dunne says that is exactly the point.

"We are at the very front end of it the idea stage," she said. "If something seems to be working, then it might be taken a step further."

For students, the experience offers a rare chance to contribute even in a small way to one of the most complex challenges in science and engineering.

"We're very proud to play some small part," Dunne said. "It just feels good to be part of this wonderful mission."

From a classroom in Minnesota to the future of human spaceflight, these students are helping shape what comes next, one design at a time.