EMA and Synopsys to Support NASA Johnson’s Development of New Artemis Spacesuit Verification Approach for the Lunar Environment
LAKEWOOD, Colo.; HOUSTON; PITTSBURGH; PITTSFIELD, Mass.– Electro Magnetic Applications, Inc. (EMA), in collaboration with Synopsys, is pleased to announce a joint effort with NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) to advance a new analysis-driven method for verifying spacesuit compatibility with the lunar environment in support of NASA’s Artemis missions.
The effort focuses on reducing risks to extravehicular activity (EVA) systems, specifically spacesuits, caused by electrical charging and electrostatic discharge (ESD) from the space plasma environment and by triboelectrification from lunar regolith interactions, both of which are key considerations for sustained lunar surface operations.
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 stackups, and representative suit features across relevant lunar plasma conditions. Charge Plus is currently the only commercially available software capable of computing these types of space-charging problems due to its ability to model the coupled physics governing plasma interaction, surface charging, charge transport, and ESD in complex, multi-material systems.
These simulation efforts are paired with test and validation activities conducted at EMA’s Space Environment and Radiation Effects (SERE) Laboratory in Pittsfield, Mass., one of the few facilities capable of replicating key aspects of the space plasma environment on the ground. EMA will support empirical efforts at the SERE Lab to quantify triboelectric charge transfer using controlled lunar regolith or simulant interactions, enabling realistic characterization of dust-driven charging effects that are difficult, or impossible, to fully predict through testing or analysis alone. Test results like these are used to refine software simulations, improving accuracy and verification confidence.
By combining high-fidelity Charge Plus simulation with targeted physics-informed testing at the SERE Lab, the team aims to establish a robust verification approach that strengthens confidence in spacesuit performance under worst-case lunar charging scenarios. This integrated simulation-and-test workflow allows NASA to identify critical charging drivers, evaluate design tradeoffs, and focus validation where it matters most for astronaut safety and mission success.
“We’re honored to support NASA Johnson Space Center as they advance EVA readiness for Artemis,” said Justin McKennon, EMA CTO. “By pairing test-informed data with simulation workflows, we can help identify worst-case charging conditions, evaluate material stackups, and target validation where it matters most.”
“Advanced simulation is a critical enabler for mission assurance when the real environment is complex and difficult to fully replicate,” said Jay Kinney, Synopsys. “Together with EMA and NASA, we’re aiming to establish efficient workflows that inform verification strategies and support safe lunar surface EVA operations.”
