NASA astronauts are set to embark on their 2025 Moon mission in a seriously stylish moon suit – thanks to the collaboration between the space agency and the renowned luxury fashion designer Prada. The Italian fashion house will team up with another private company, Axiom Space, to create these special suits.
Collaboration between Axiom Space & Designer
In a statement released to the press, Axiom mentioned that Prada would contribute their knowledge and skills in materials and manufacturing to the project.
Michael Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space said, “We are thrilled to partner with Prada on the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit.”
He further said, “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.”
An astronaut also shared that he believed Prada was well-equipped for the task because of their experience in design. Prada’s expertise has been honed not just on the runways of Milan but also through their participation in the America’s Cup sailing competition.
Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Marketing Director said, “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.”
Opinions about the new design of the moon suit
According to Professor Jeffrey Hoffman, who has undertaken five NASA missions and completed four spacewalks, “Prada has considerable experience with various types of composite fabrics and may actually be able to make some real technical contributions to the outer layers of the new space suit.”
However, he clarified that we shouldn’t anticipate astronauts wearing “paisley spacesuits or any fancy patterns like that.” He emphasized that the key priority is maintaining an optimal thermal environment in the spacesuits.
“A spacesuit is really like a miniature spacecraft. It has to provide pressure, oxygen, keep you at a reasonable temperature,” he added.
Axiom’s spacesuit for Artemis 3 mission
Earlier this year, Axiom introduced a spacesuit intended for use during the upcoming Artemis 3 mission. The suit weighed 55 kilograms and was described as a better match for female astronauts.
Italian luxury fashion house Prada is teaming up with Texas startup Axiom Space to design the next spacesuit for NASA astronauts going to the moon mission known as NASA's Artemis III lunar mission. pic.twitter.com/y6u5JApIjq
— Stephen Musk (@Iam_StephenMusk) October 6, 2023
In a press statement, Artemis and Prada announced their intention to utilize “cutting-edge technologies and innovative design” to enable “enhanced exploration of the lunar surface, surpassing previous capabilities.”
The Artemis 3 mission, showcasing the Prada-designed suits, will come after Artemis 2. Artemis 2 involves sending a capsule around the Moon, scheduled for late next year or early 2025. Artemis 2 will make history by assigning the first woman, Christina Kock, and the first black astronaut, Victor Glover, to a lunar mission.
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