The most advanced materials in human spaceflight are soft goods: textiles and composites, meticulously sewn, bonded, and sealed by people who know failure isn’t an option.

So @kaiarhodes, this New Industrials t-shirt that you made for the D.C. event is insanely comfortable and easily the best fitting t-shirt I own. @anatar is going to win.

NASA currently faces a potential monopoly in spacesuit development following Collins Aerospace's 2024 withdrawal from its xEVAS contract, leaving Axiom Space as the sole active provider. Spacesuits are critical to NASA’s operations in microgravity on the International Space Station (ISS) as well as its broader goals of returning humans to the Moon. In March 2026, NASA announced a $20 billion plan to build a permanent Moon Base near the lunar south pole over the next seven years. To prioritize and accelerate a permanent lunar base, NASA subsequently paused development of the Lunar Gateway space station. Astronauts wear spacesuits to protect them from the harsh environment of space, but the Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU) currently used by NASA on the ISS are a major point of operational and safety concern. In fact, the underlying design of these suits is more than 50 years old, having originally been developed in the 1970s for the Space Shuttle program. While they have undergone minor updates, the fleet has long exceeded its original 15-year design life, pushing the ISS to what safety panels call the "brink of safe operations." An April 2026 Office of Inspector General (OIG) report assessed the Agency’s efforts to obtain new lunar and microgravity suits, concluding that the original schedule was highly optimistic. The OIG warned that if Axiom's design and testing delays mirror the historical average for recent space flight programs, the Artemis and ISS demonstrations may not occur until 2031. To keep the crewed missions on track for 2028, NASA announced in September 2026 that it was heavily paring back its demands. Axiom Space has now been directed to build a simpler, stripped-down variant known as the "Sortie Suit" for the initial Artemis missions. By significantly reducing the suit's mass, complexity, and certification requirements, NASA aims to make it feasible for Axiom to deliver a functional product on a compressed timeline. While the broader aerospace industry struggles with bespoke, manual prototyping, Anatar has focused first on maturing the foundational technology necessary for scalability. Our vision is to establish the definitive Textile Factories-as-a-Service company for the aerospace and defense sectors. Through robotics, automation, and AI, we deliver scalable production of mission-critical soft goods—spanning tactical uniforms, advanced ballistic protection, spacecraft components, and ultimately, next-generation spacesuits. As NASA moves toward a sustained human presence on the Moon and eventual Mars exploration, we are building the manufacturing infrastructure necessary to make those off-world milestones a reality. This push for advanced, scalable manufacturing aligns perfectly with the Agency's long-term goals. Initiatives like NASA's recent FY26 SBIR Phase I solicitation highlight the urgent demand for advanced Martian EVA suit architectures. However, design innovation alone isn't enough. As the space economy moves toward establishing permanent off-world infrastructure, automated production capabilities like ours will be the critical bridge to manufacturing these complex systems at scale.

If you’re attending The New Industrial Age Forum in DC, pick up a shirt or hat made in America by Anatar. @newindustrials

Join Anatar Founder & CEO @KaiaRhodes at the @SeamsAssoc Fall Conference in New Orleans as she discusses the challenges, strategies, and opportunities shaping the future of domestic cut-and-sew manufacturing.

A milestone for Anatar: we've just shipped our first orders designed, produced, and fulfilled entirely in-house, through Relay, our fulfillment platform.

The @anatar pre-seed investor pack is undefeated. Thanks for the American made swag @kaiarhodes!

August was the highest-revenue month in Anatar’s history. We are still early, but I’m proud of the progress and excited for what comes next.

Proud to support @GovSignals with custom challenge coins for their USSOCOM consortium.

The founder. The mission. Anatar.

Last chance to get @anatar at seed

We’re turning away more business than we can accept. Raising a seed to meet demand and scale our robotics.

Proof America can make things again.

One of my favorite startup stories: @anatar I've been following Kaia for a few years. She literally willed this concept out of thin air into existence. Love to see it break into success.

Last week the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) reported out its version of the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Several provisions were included that benefit U.S. national defense textile manufacturers. Key sections below: - Textile Industrial Base Study (Sec. 839) DoD must contract with a federally funded R&D center for a comprehensive assessment of the textile industrial base, covering industry coordination, contracting stability, domestic sourcing gaps, Berry Amendment compliance, supply chain resilience, automated manufacturing investments, and risks from single-source suppliers. An initial scoping briefing is due to Congress by May 1, 2027, with the final report due September 30, 2028. The bill also includes a $50 million allocation for a textile manufacturing program (funds must be specifically provided through appropriations. - Cross-Functional Team on the Textile Industrial Base (Sec. 841) DoD must stand up a cross-functional team by April 1, 2027 — with representatives from each service, DLA, and the Office of Industrial Base Policy — meeting quarterly to map the textile industrial base and identify resiliency needs. By January 1, 2028, the team must launch a competitive pilot program to revitalize domestic textile supply chains, supporting surge capacity, modernization, qualification of alternate suppliers, and expanded competition. Three congressional briefings are required: within 60 days of stand-up, within 90 days of completing supply chain mapping, and annually thereafter. - Boot Certification (Sec. 835) DoD must issue regulations within two years of enactment requiring that optional combat boots sold at military exchanges be certified through each service's combat boot quality assurance program, ensuring consistent durability and quality standards. A 90-day waiver is available while certification programs are being implemented. - Combat Boot Subsidy Pilot (Sec. 840) The Army must launch a pilot program by June 1, 2027, subsidizing 30% of the cost of compliant combat boots for soldiers receiving a uniform allowance, capped at one pair per eligible member and purchased through AAFES. The program runs at three selected installations through December 31, 2029. Congress will receive an implementation briefing by March 1, 2027, and annual updates thereafter on usage and program data.

Sure, reindustrializing America and manufacturing fabrics for defense and space is crucial and epic, but topping it off with a killer long-sleeve shirt available to anyone? Just next level @anatar!

American manufacturing. Grown here. Sewn here. Get your limited-edition long-sleeve while they last at store.anatar.com.

By working directly with American farmers, Anatar is returning the economic value of American cotton to American hands. We support the @USDA’s Great American Cotton Plan to strengthen America’s cotton supply chain and revive rural communities.

Working on combat uniforms for the US Army today. See us at booth #423 at FEDTEX to learn how Anatar is automating textile manufacturing for the U.S. military and NATO-allied forces.

TODAY’S SHOW // 5.14.26 @landforce - 12:40p CT @Jack_Raines - 1:10p CT @joshua_schall - 1:45p CT News & Views: + Helix-02 Humanoid 3PL + Launch: Claude for SMB + Billboard 100 x Consumer Psych + 24M/yr - Custom Pet Plushies + @anatar automation + Physical Phones x @Shopify

Join us at FEDTEX, the Federal and Defense Textile and Tactical Equipment Summit, on May 19-20 in Raleigh.