The next astronauts on the moon will be wearing Prada. Axiom Space, a leading provider of human spaceflight services and the developer of the world’s first commercial space station in low-Earth orbit, has partnered with the Italian fashion powerhouse to design the next lunar spacesuits for NASA’s upcoming Artemis III mission.
Planned for 2025, Artemis lll will be NASA’s first human mission to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, as well as the first time a woman and person of color is sent to the moon. As a universally-acclaimed luxury brand, Prada will combine its innovative designs and expert craftsmanship with Axiom Space’s cutting-edge technology in the first partnership between a space company and an Italian fashion designer to design a spacesuit that achieves safety and comfort from head to toe for the crew in this historic mission.
“We are thrilled to partner with Prada on the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit,” says Michael Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space. “Prada’s technical expertise with raw materials, manufacturing techniques, and innovative design concepts will bring advanced technologies instrumental in ensuring not only the comfort of astronauts on the lunar surface, but also the much-needed human factors considerations absent from legacy spacesuits.”
When finished, the AxEMU spacesuit will provide astronauts with even more advanced capabilities to allow for greater space exploration. Prada engineers and the Space Axiom team have designed a spacesuit prototype that currently enhances NASA’s previous Extravehicular Mobility Unit spacesuit with features such as better flexibility, increased protection against the harsh environment and a new custom glove design that allows astronauts to use specialized tools and take on new scientific opportunities while on the moon’s surface.
“The constantly forward-thinking ethos of Prada for humanity has broadened to his desire of adventure and to brave new horizons: space,” said Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Marketing Director. “We are honored to be a part of this historic mission with Axiom Space. Our decades of experimentation, cutting-edge technology and design know-how—which started back in the ‘90s with Luna Rossa challenging for the America’s cup—will now be applied to the design of a spacesuit for the Artemis era. It is a true celebration of the power of human creativity and innovation to advance civilization.”
To learn more about Axiom Space and the new NASA AxEMU spacesuit with Prada, click here.
