Astronauts will wear Prada: the fashion house and the space company have created a spacesuit together

>> Astronauts will wear Prada/Axiom Space

Fashion house Prada in collaboration with commercial space company Axiom Spac has created a new design for the spacesuit that astronauts will wear during the upcoming mission to the moon.

At the International Congress of Astronauts in Milan, the joint work of the fashion house Prada and the space company Axiom Space was shown for the first time – spacesuits for astronauts Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU). It will be used for NASA's Artemis III mission.

The design of the outer layer and the materials were developed jointly: combining the creative and engineering potential of two such different companies to improve the design of the next generation spacesuit.

During development, Axiom Space used a dark cloaking layer for demonstration purposes only to hide the spacesuit's proprietary technology. However, on the lunar surface, the suit will be made of a white material that reflects heat and protects astronauts from extremely high temperatures and lunar dust.

Going beyond our capabilities is one of the company's values, which perfectly reflects the spirit of the Prada brand and the vision of my parents. I am very proud of the result we are showing today, which is only the first step in a long-term cooperation with Axiom Space. We exchanged experiences in the field of high-performance materials, functions and tailoring technologies and learned a lot. I am sure that we will continue to explore new challenges, expand horizons and build new scenarios together, said Lorenzo Bertelli, Marketing Director and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Prada Group.

Prada's product design and development team worked with Axiom Space engineers on specific material recommendations and features that would protect astronauts from the unique challenges of the lunar environment and visually inspire future space exploration.

Prada expertise enabled advanced technology and innovative sewing methods to bridge the gap between high-tech functionality and an aesthetically pleasing white outer layer, providing astronauts with increased comfort and improved material quality.

Astronauts will wear Prada/Axiom Space

The AxEMU program is an example of how the commercial space industry is creating unconventional partnerships to expand space exploration opportunities.

After receiving its first order in 2022 for the $228 million Artemis program, Axiom Space took advantage of a public-private agreement with NASA, bringing in well-known experts in various fields to participate in the development and design of spacesuits of the new generation.