The Houston based space exploration company Axiom Space and the popular luxury fashion designer Prada have teamed up for the design of the spacesuit that the astronauts of NASA will be wearing when they embark on their upcoming journey to the moon.
NASA’s Artemis III mission, which is set to launch in 2026, will be the first “staffed” lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972, and will have four astronauts on board for the 30-day mission.
Components of the white, gray, and red astronaut spacesuit include:
- Lights
- HD camera
- Cellular communications
- “Endurance athlete”-style nutrition
- Backpack with portable life support system
- Custom-made gloves
- Boots designed to withstand lunar temperatures and rough terrain
“We are thrilled to partner with Prada on the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit,” said Michael Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space via an official statement. “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.
“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 added. “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.”
