Astronauts Will Be Rocking Prada Spacesuits When They Return To The Moon’s Surface For The First Time Since 1972
The astronauts slated to return to the moon’s surface in 2026 as part of NASA’s first human mission to the lunar South Pole will be wearing Prada in space.
Axiom Space, a private space company, has partnered with the Italian luxury fashion house Prada to provide the surface suits and spacewalk systems for NASA’s Artemis 3 mission, which is set to launch in September 2026. The mission marks humanity’s first return to the moon since 1972.
Axiom Space and Prada debuted the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan.
“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, the president of Axiom Space, said. “We have broken the mold.”
The outer layer of the spacesuit is designed to reflect heat and is mostly white, just like the suits the Apollo astronauts wore more than 50 years ago when they walked on the moon.
But the suit has been updated to have a few hints of gray and red stripes that resemble the ones on Italy’s Luna Rossa America’s Cup boat, which was also sponsored by Prada.
The main goal of the modernized suit is to protect astronauts in the harsh environment of space, with improved mobility.
“One of the missions that NASA wants to do is to try to find water craters at the South Pole. These are some of the coldest places in the universe. And so this suit has to be designed very cleverly,” Ondler said.
There are mountains and deep craters at the lunar South Pole. The sun only stays below or just above the horizon. So, temperatures can range from 130 degrees Fahrenheit in sunlit areas to -334 degrees Fahrenheit in permanently shadowed regions.
pcruciatti – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
The suit is said to have improved flexibility for maximum comfort and performance. It will protect astronauts from radiation and external pressure, as well as allow them to perform moonwalks for up to eight hours. It includes lights, 4G/LTE communications, an HD camera, and in-suit nutrition.
With the mission set to see the first woman on the moon, the suits are also unisex and can be adapted to various sizes.
The design of the boots proved to be especially challenging in the matter of insulation and ensuring they could withstand the rough terrain.
According to Lorenzo Bertelli, the marketing manager for Prada and the son of the fashion house’s founder, Miuccia Prada, the materials used are “confidential.”
For quite some time, America has wanted to send astronauts to the moon again. However, technical delays and lack of funding have delayed this dream.
When the Artemis 3 mission is finally launched, the first woman and the first person of color will traverse the lunar surface.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
More About:News
Read This Next
