Synopsys Supported NASA's Artemis Program with Spacesuit Analysis

NASA selected Synopsys, Inc. and EMA to verify spacesuit compatibility with the lunar environment. This work advances Synopsys' support of future Artemis missions, which also includes a collaborative effort with Cesium, part of Bentley Systems, and NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland to validate cellular system performance on the lunar surface using digital twin technology.

The joint effort by EMA and Synopsys focuses on reducing risks to extravehicular activity (EVA) systems, specifically spacesuits, caused by triboelectrification from lunar regolith interactions, and electrical charging and electrostatic discharge (ESD) from the space plasma environment. Analyzing charging levels that the complex, multi-layer Artemis spacesuits may experience on the moon is important for sustained lunar surface operations, because ESD events can damage mission-critical electronics needed for communications and life support, according to Synopsys.

Under the planned approach, EMA and Synopsys will apply and develop physics-based analysis workflows using Ansys Charge Plus, a software simulation tool for electromagnetic charging and discharging, to evaluate spacesuit materials, layered stack-ups, and representative suit features across relevant lunar plasma conditions. These simulation efforts are paired with test and validation activities conducted at EMA's Space Environment and Radiation Effects (SERE) Laboratory in Pittsfield, MA, a facility capable of replicating key aspects of the space plasma environment on the ground. 

"We're honored to support NASA's Johnson Space Center as they advance EVA readiness for Artemis," says Justin McKennon, chief technology officer of EMA. "By pairing test-informed data with simulation workflows, we can help identify worst-case charging conditions, evaluate material stack-ups, and target validation where it matters most."

In addition to spacesuit validation, Cesium integrated 3D spatial and true-to-reality Moon topography data into Synopsys' digital mission engineering environment, where radio frequency (RF) signal propagation performance is analyzed using Ansys RF Channel Modeler software. Ansys HFSS simulation software is also included in the technology stack for high-fidelity antenna models installed on spacesuits and rovers.

"To build a lunar network, you must first build a digital moon," says Patrick Cozzi, chief platform officer, Bentley Systems. "Cesium's high-fidelity digital twin provides a virtual stage to test how communication signals perform against complex lunar topography, validating network reliability and ensuring mission-critical connectivity before hardware is deployed."

The Lunar 3GPP team at NASA's Glenn Research Center leverages this solution to visualize and validate RF coverage in the context of realistic operating scenarios. The insights can help inform radio placement that will enable connectivity outside of a future Moon Base. 

"The Artemis program is an ambitious, collective effort to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustained presence as a foundation for future exploration," says Jim Bridenstine, former NASA Administrator and current advisor for AGI, part of Synopsys. "Embracing digital engineering technologies that enable teams to model, test, and refine designs virtually before hardware is built, is an important step to reducing risk and accelerating innovation."

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.