NASA and Texas-based company Axiom Space have revealed a new spacesuit design – and it could be these very suits that are eventually worn by the first woman and person of colour to walk on the Moon.

The spacesuits unveiled by Axiom Space at Space Centre Houston on Wednesday are prototypes, though the company says it will be delivering spacesuits that can be used for astronaut training later this year. The company won a contract last year to produce the suits for NASA.

The new design, which looked black with blue and orange detailing for the unveiling, appeared to take on a vastly different aesthetic than the puffy white suits worn by moonwalkers of the 20th century. However, Axiom Space noted in a news release that its suits are covered in an extra layer – bearing the company's colours and logo – for display purposes.

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The actual spacesuits worn by astronauts must be white "to reflect heat and protect astronauts from extreme high temperatures," according to the release.

"We have not had a new suit since the suits that we designed for the space shuttle and those suits are currently in use on the space station," said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Centre.

"So for 40 years, we've been using the same suit based on that technology. And now today, Axiom is going to innovate. We're going to provide (access to) all of our facilities and we will be working together to make sure that we have a safe suit that performs and everything that our astronauts use for doing surface operations."

The suits will serve a crucial role in NASA's Artemis program, which seeks to return astronauts to the lunar surface later this decade on a mission dubbed Artemis III. After astronauts land at the lunar south pole, the spacesuits will serve as mobile life support, allowing them to explore the lunar terrain on foot.

"NASA's partnership with Axiom is critical to landing astronauts on the Moon and continuing American leadership in space," said NASA administrator Bill Nelson in a statement.

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"Building on NASA's years of research and expertise, Axiom's next generation spacesuits will not only enable the first woman to walk on the Moon, but they will also open opportunities for more people to explore and conduct science on the Moon than ever before."

The design of the spacesuits borrows from NASA's own research. The space agency had previously unveiled a prototype design for lunar spacesuits in 2019, called xEMU.

The new suit allows for more range of motion and flexibility and its design can accommodate at least 90 per cent of the US male and female population, according to NASA. Axiom Space will develop, certify and produce the spacesuits and the company will "test the suit in a spacelike environment prior to the mission."

Features of the suit include an HD video camera and a light band mounted to the visor of the helmet. The light band will afford astronauts better visibility as they work in the permanently shadowed regions of the lunar south pole or go on spacewalks, said Russel Ralston, deputy program manager at Axiom Space.

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A hatch with two hinges located on the back of the suit allows astronauts to enter the spacesuit feet first, then shimmy into it, and a backpack provides the portable life support system. The boots have been reinforced with extra insulation to keep the astronauts' feet warm as they work in icy regions of the Moon that never see sunlight.

"This is this is a great example of what innovation can do," said Peggy Whitson, retired NASA astronaut and current Axiom astronaut. "This is going to be such a much more flexible suit and the range of motion is really going to improve the astronauts' ability to do all those tasks that they're going to do while they're out exploring on the lunar surface and eventually on Mars."

Whitson, who holds the record among Americans and women for spending the most time in space – a total of 665 days – is the director of human spaceflight at Axiom and is slated to launch on Axiom's Ax-2 private crew mission to the International Space Station in May.

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A Queensland conservationist has warned that "people will die" if a concerning trend on social media that's seen Aussies "jump into crocodileinfested waters" continues.

Wildlife educator and reptile enthusiastic Mick Bender has called on the government to intervene after a noticing steep increase in viral social media videos showing people dangerously interacting with wild crocodiles.

"If things keep going the way they're going, more people will die and more crocodiles will die because of it," Bender said this morning on 4BC.

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"I shake my head every time I see them (the videos)."

Pointing to footage a man who was attacked and whose dog was killed after the pair entered a river well-known for being infested with crocodiles, Bender said people need to pay more attention to advice.

"It's so devastating to see, you can see what a bad example the bloke has set by going down and doing the wrong thing at that boat ramp and getting attacked," he said. 

"People see the videos and think there's a lot of views or whatever to gain out of this, so people are going out into crocodile territory and taking risks.

"You can see what's going to happen, which is what we're really trying to warn against. 

"We want to see something done about this before something else goes wrong."

People drastically underestimate crocodiles' hunting abilities, Bender said.

Having been around for over 250 million years, crocodiles are "so well evolved" that they've perfected underwater hunting.

"They're so well adapted in so many ways," Bender said.

"They're an ambush attack predator too, they're unseen predators. 

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"You don't always see them, it's the crocodiles you don't see that you've got to be worried about, it's not the one sitting on the bank across the river, it's the one that's ready to strike right in front of you, out of sight."

Crocodiles don't even have to see potential prey, Bender added, revealing they can actually "feel you".

"If you're splashing around they can feel you," he said.

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"They can swim at the cruising speed of a dolphin and they can hold their breath for seven hours."

Bender said he'd like to see a boycott of crocodile interaction videos but admitted he knows "that's not how social media works".

"We're pushing for the government to enforce penalties for these kinds of acts because people are continuously going up into crocodile territory, ignoring the warning signs, ignoring all the safety rules up there, getting grabbed from it and it's always the crocodiles that suffer," he said.

https://omny.fm/shows/4bc-breakfast/authorities-called-on-to-step-in-as-croc-trend-swe/embed

A Queensland hiker said he was left "profusely bleeding" after being "full slapped in the face" by a "crazy" python in Cairns

Joel Herrington was on a three-kilometre trek to Clamshell Falls on Monday when he and friends came across the giant reptile.

Herrington said he "didn't see it coming" when "all of a sudden" the beast "dropped down from above".

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"I was at a waterfall and we were walking back up and there was a couple in front of us, they pointed out a snake above us so, we stopped and had a look," he said on Today.

"I saw it and then I took some photos and went back down because I dropped a couple of bottles.

"(When) I went to grab the bottles, I got a full face slap on the face.

"I didn't see it coming. Crazy.

"It was so far up above us before and then it dropped down and I had no idea that it was that close to my face and then I started bleeding profusely.

"My mate took a video. Then the rest is history."

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Herrington said that because he owns a snake as a pet – a carpet python over two metres long – he was able to stay relatively calm during the ordeal.

"Everyone's saying all these comments: 'You harassed the snake', but I didn't do a Steve Irwin," he said.

"I took photos, I went back down because I was doing the right thing with the rubbish and the bush and I walked back up – calm and casual like I always am with the snakes – and it decided to go me.

"When I started taking photos, it started dropping down and I left it alone.

"Minding my own business, went down with the rubbish, grabbed it, brought it back up, and it slapped me in the face and I tumbled down the hill."

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After discussions with a wildlife expert, though a rare occurrence, it's believed the snake mistook Herrington for prey.

"It is very unusual," Herrington said.

"Everyone's saying they don't do anything unless you provoke them, but they obviously react.

"It was hanging down from the tree above me and we theorise – I talked to a mate from Queensland Parks and he said that he agrees with me – that was just sit ing there waiting in the bushes for a bat or bird, and I happened to be close enough to it."

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Being a Lifeline volunteer is a confronting, heartbreaking job at the best of times.

Trying to attentively listen to people's cries for help while making sure not to overstep personal boundaries – it's a role that can be extremely fulfilling, but it comes at a hefty price.

Watching the nation's mental health epidemic unravel before your very eyes, while physically being unable to prevent deaths, is an unimaginable challenge that 55-year-old volunteer Text Crisis Supporter Sonny Tuapola knows all too well.

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Though through time he's learned to switch-off once a shift is done, emotions can't always be blocked, especially when it comes to the escalating emergency among Australia's children, which Tuapola says is undoubtedly "the hardest part".

At around 9am each day, when parents set off to work and kids are left alone – either at home, school or anywhere else in between – traffic to the text line surges.

"They're texting from their bedrooms, homes, bathrooms, the back of the buildings, everywhere," Tuapola tells 9News.com.au.

"I do the 6am to 10am shift, and you know, you get adults texting in on the way to work, pulling over their cars on the side of the road.

"But towards 9 o'clock, something else happens, you get all the school kids.

"And there's a lot – a lot of kids calling.

"That's the hardest part." 

Do you have a story? Contact reporter on Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

A 'distressing' amount of drivers have had dangerous collisions with railway boom arms in 2022, prompting Queensland Rail to release a new safety campaign.

Over the last 12 months 85 drivers have collided with boom arms in Queensland, 13 more additional crashes than in 2021, according to Queensland Rail.

The "Avoid Harm, Stop Before The Boom Arm" campaign also includes an increased police presence at boom arm incident hot spots.

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"Boom arms are being dislodged and cars are hurtling through the level crossings, sometimes seconds from a collision with a train – it's hard to watch," senior manager for security and emergency preparedness Drew Brock said.

"It doesn't matter if it's inattention or indifference, if you ignore the warning signs, the result can be the same – catastrophic.

"Trains travel fast, they're slow to stop and they can't swerve – so it's up to motorists to stay safe, obey the flashing signals and boom arms at level crossings.

"We saw seven drivers strike Queensland Rail boom arms in just one month in January, following an alarming upward trend."

Drivers caught ignoring the flashing warning lights at a level crossing can cop a $431 infringement notice and three demerit points.

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Drivers who cause any damage to rail infrastructure could face $1150 fines and lose four demerit points.

"Drivers can expect to see us out in force at these bad behaviour hot spots," Queensland Police Service Senior Constable Jason Goodwin said.

"We'll have mobile message boards around the network, as an added reminder but we're pleading with motorists to do their part and make safe choices.

"If you're doing the wrong thing, rest assured you'll be glad it's us catching you and not an oncoming train."

The family of slain officer Senior Constable Brett Forte want "big changes" from Queensland Police following the release of the coroner's findings.

Ricky Maddison fatally shot Forte after he was lured down a dirt road in the Lockyer Valley, west of Brisbane, on May 29, 2017.

Coroner Terry Ryan said there were several systemic factors that may have contributed to 42-year-old Forte's death and it was possible the fatal shooting may have been prevented.

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Forte's brother Luke told 9News he he thought the Queensland Police Service had gone about their business in the wrong way.

"I can't bring my brother back, that's the way it stands, but how do we learn from what's happened to him," Luke said.

Luke said he found out the findings were being handed down in the news.

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"They will say that's the lawyer's or barrister's job to come and tell you, but at the end of the day you tell the family of the victim."

He said he thought "big changes" were needed to be made in the police service.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said she met with Senior Constable Forte's wife Suzie a few weeks ago.

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"I know she's been supported by a lot of people but she expressed her disappointment at people that didn't support her and to me that's unacceptable," Carroll said.

"I think we need to have a look at that into the future because I still want to work through the concerns she has."

Delivering his inquest findings on Tuesday, Ryan said there was a "significant failure of leadership" during the pursuit and missed opportunities to arrest Maddison before the shooting.

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‘We ask people to please only flush the three P’s’

Minties now call Victoria home after the Allen's factory underwent a major expansion that allows workers to produce a whopping 22,000 tonnes in confectionery a year.

The chewy treat had been produced in New Zealand but will now be manufactured at the Nestle-owned site in Broadford.

The $12 million expansion was backed by the Victorian government as part of the Regional Jobs Fund.

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It will see an additional 20 workers hired and increased job security for the existing 200 staff.

Broadford factory manager Emily Bradbury told 9News the output has increased significantly thanks to new automated machines and staff power.

"On the packing line we pack 1750 Minties a minute and we're averaging between 8 to 10 tonnes of Minties a day," she said.

Red Ripperz and Sherbies will now also be produced at the site.

The brand's most popular product is its Snakes Alive line, manufacturing 200 million of the lollies every year.

Regional Development Minister Harriet Shing says the expansion is a win for Bradford and the Goulburn Valley.

"We know that this part of the world has a huge reputation for food manufacturing and we've been really pleased to support it," she told 9News.

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Food manufacturing in the Goulburn Valley is growing 15 percent faster than the Victorian average for industry growth.

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The father has been missing since February 14 and was driving his white Hilux.

A man looked at a young woman directly in the eye before he allegedly mowed her down in an attack sparked by a McDonald's drive-thru incident in Melbourne.

Katherine Humphries was left with serious injuries and is unable to work after the "unhinged attack" in Seddon about 9.20pm on February 10.

The alleged offender and Humphries had earlier been in an argument in the drive-thru of a nearby McDonald's after she says she tried to protect a worker.

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When they left the drive-thru, the man was allegedly waiting for Humphries and soon began driving erratically, she said.

"The man ahead of me was yelling at the young worker for a couple of minutes and I told him to move on and leave her alone," Humphries told 9News.

"He drove off and I went up to get my food and as I turned onto Somerville Road … he was there waiting for me. 

"He threw something at my passenger side window and scared me."

The 33-year-old said she continued to drive but was followed by the man in his Toyota C-HR wagon.

"He was brake testing me and started following me. By the time we got to the coroner of Mackay Street and Gamon Street, he did a U-turn and smashed into the front of the car," she said.

"I got out to say what are you doing and he looked at me and drove at me and stopped. I put my hands up and he looked directly into my eyes and drove into me again."

The man allegedly fled along Gamon Street.

"He sped off on the wrong side of the road and it wasn't until people heard me screaming that that someone helped me," Humphries said.

She was taken to hospital.

"It was devastating, the pain was horrific, I can't imagine being in the amount of pain ever again," she said.

"This has impacted my whole life. It's humiliating."

Police are searching for the man, who is perceived to be a Caucasian male with a solid build and a small black beard.

He was wearing a black t-shirt.

Police have released a photo and CCTV footage in the hope someone can identify him.

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