The luxury House has teamed up with the American company Axiom Space to design a unique suit intended for the crew members of the Artemis III lunar mission, worn by NASA.
Prada, from the Earth to the Moon
White, gray and, here and there, the very identifiable red line “red line” from Prada. Announced last year, the partnership between the Italian brand and Axiom Space takes a new turn with the presentation of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit suit – called AxEMU – during the International Astronautical Congress which is being held this week in Milan.
Described by Matt Ondler, President of Axiom Space, as “a new type of cross-industry collaboration that further expands what is possible in the commercial space space”this equipment is the result of a rapprochement between the group’s engineers and the Prada research and development teams who here had to adapt their choices of materials and sewing techniques to cope with obvious constraints in terms of safety and mobility.
Packed with cutting-edge technologies aimed at supporting the discovery of the lunar environment, this suit has, for example, a reflective coating developed to protect astronauts from extreme temperatures and lunar dust.
For now, the AxEMU has already been the subject of several simulation operations and is approaching its final phase of development with new tests planned – among others – underwater and within prototypes of the lunar vehicle which will accompany the expedition. “This combination is just the first step in a long-term collaboration with Axiom Space”specifies Lorenzo Bertelli, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility of the Prada group, who mentions “new challenges and new scenarios” for the future.
The mission Artemis IIIwhich should focus on the exploration of a region near the Moon’s south pole, should be launched in September 2026. If NASA recently mentioned a potential delay of a few months (end of 2027-beginning of 2028), it will be the first time that humans will set foot on the Moon since 1972.
