Prada And Axiom Space Unveil High-Fashion Spacesuit For NASA’s Artemis III Moon Mission

Luxury fashion house Prada has announced an exciting collaboration with Axiom Space to design a state-of-the-art spacesuit for NASA’s upcoming Artemis III mission, scheduled for launch in 2026. Dubbed the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), the suit was unveiled at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan. Notably, this marks the first moon-landing spacesuit since Apollo 17 in 1972, and it will be worn by astronauts, including the first woman and the first person of colour, as they journey to the lunar surface.

The AxEMU features a predominantly white exterior designed to regulate heat and protect astronauts from the harsh temperatures and lunar dust. Its sleek design includes cropped torso styling, complemented by strategically placed stone-grey patches on the elbows and knees, with red accents that evoke the signature look of Prada Linea Rossa. The suit is gender-neutral, tailored to fit the diverse shapes of the human body.

The suit enables astronauts to conduct spacewalks for up to eight hours, equipped with advanced technology for communication, lighting and scientific tasks. During its development, the suit underwent rigorous testing, including a series of simulations that mimicked lunar conditions by submerging the equipment underwater.

Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada’s Chief Marketing Officer, expressed pride in this groundbreaking partnership, saying, “The constantly forward-thinking ethos of Prada for humanity has broadened to his desire of adventure and to brave new horizons: space.”

“Our elite teams have redefined spacesuit development, establishing new pathways to innovative solutions and applying a state-of-the-art design approach for the AxEMU,” Matt Ondler, Axiom Space President, said in a statement.

“We are thrilled to partner with Prada on the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit,” said Michael Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space.

Artemis III is positioned to be one of the groundbreaking events in space exploration, as its primary goal is not merely to send people to the Moon but also to create a sustainable presence. The mission will be dedicated to the study of the south pole of the moon which is believed to have valuable resources that may be useful for the future mission to Mars.

Landing will entail two astronauts whereas two others will orbit the moon inside the Orion spacecraft. Astronauts will carry out the measurements associated with field geology, and sample collection and perform many other scientific activities related to the study of the lunar resources and lunar environment.

It is expected to last for about 30 days during which astronauts will make a journey to the lunar orbit, with two crew members descending to the surface. They are planning to spend roughly a week in scientific studies before returning to other crew members and flying back to Earth.