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2 months ago
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It's the collaboration the fashion world never saw coming.
Prada – known for its luxury handbags, accessories and footwear – has turned to designing a spacesuit to be worn on the next mission to the moon.
The renowned fashion company, founded in Milan in 1913, has teamed up with Axiom Space to advise on the suit's design and materials.
Its creation, called the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit, has been described as 'evolvable, scalable and adaptable' for missions on the lunar surface and in low-Earth orbit.
Prada said its design team was able to assist with recommending customised materials and features for the spacesuit, as well as sewing methods that could improve the suit's performance.
Prada – known for its luxury handbags, accessories and footwear – has turned to designing a spacesuit to be worn on the next mission to the moon
Prada said its design team was able to assist with recommending customised materials and features for the spacesuit, as well as sewing methods that could improve the suit's performance
The suit, which will be worn by the next humans to walk on the surface of the moon, will be capable of withstanding extreme temperatures at the lunar south pole and the coldest temperatures in permanently-shadowed regions.
It has been designed to accommodate both male and female astronauts with enhanced flexibility and mobility to allow them to move around for at least eight hours.
Features also include variable suit pressure, a carbon dioxide 'scrubbing' system, a portable life support system backpack and a bright white outer layer to reflect heat.
The entire design also includes advanced coatings on the helmet and visor to enhance the astronauts' view of their surroundings, as well as custom gloves.
The suit, which will be worn by the next humans to walk on the surface of the moon, will be capable of withstanding extreme temperatures at the lunar south pole and the coldest temperatures in permanently-shadowed regions
It has been designed to accommodate both male and female astronauts with enhanced flexibility and mobility to allow them to move around for at least eight hours
Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility said: 'Going beyond our limits is one of the company's values that perfectly reflects the spirit of the Prada brand and my parents' vision.
'I'm very proud of the result we're showing today, which is just the first step in a long-term collaboration with Axiom Space.
'We've shared our expertise on high-performance materials, features, and sewing techniques, and we learned a lot.
'I'm sure we'll continue to explore new challenges, broaden our horizons, and build new scenarios together.'
The entire design also includes advanced coatings on the helmet and visor to enhance the astronauts' view of their surroundings, as well as custom gloves
The suit will be used for NASA's Artemis III mission, a crewed lunar landing that will take place in September 2026 at the earliest.
It will be the first time humans have returned to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, and will involve a week-long exploration of the lunar surface while conducting scientific studies.
'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,' said Matt Ondler, Axiom Space President.
'We have broken the mould. The Axiom Space-Prada partnership has set a new foundational model for cross-industry collaboration, further expanding what's possible in commercial space.'
Axiom Space said this is the first time it is 'leveraging expertise in other industries' to improve its spacesuit design.
The suit has already undergone extensive testing and simulations with a wide range of astronauts - including underwater to simulate the environment on the moon and in reduced gravity.
