Italian-made luxury by Prada will dress NASA astronauts heading to the Moon.
Yesterday, the Italian haute couture maison revealed the inner layer of the spacesuit, created in collaboration with Axiom Space, which will help keep astronauts at a comfortable temperature on the lunar surface, highlighting the brand’s commitment to being the first major luxury name to enter the space sector.
The new product follows Prada’s foray into the world of space fashion three years ago.
On October 4, 2023, the American private aerospace company announced the partnership with Prada, on the spacesuits that Axiom is developing for use in Artemis missions, starting with Artemis 3, then scheduled for 2025. Since then, NASA has revised the Artemis program, the latest update being last February when the agency postponed the return of astronauts to the Moon: the Artemis III mission will no longer land on the Moon in 2027 but will be a demonstration mission in low Earth orbit. The first lunar landing is now expected with Artemis 4 in 2028.
Although this new target could slip: last April, NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) stated in a report that the suits developed by Axiom Space might not be ready before 2031, should the Houston-based company experience the typical delays of spacesuit development seen in the past.
All the details.
THE NEW GARMENT DEVELOPED BY PRADA AND AXIOM SPACE FOR NASA ASTRONAUTS
Prada and Axiom Space presented in New York the garment designed to be worn by astronauts inside the next-generation Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit, called the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG).
The LCVG “will be one of the few layers between [the astronauts] and the hostile environment of space,” Axiom stated. Its task is to dissipate body heat and disperse it into space by circulating water through tubes running through the suit, passing through the body’s major muscle groups. It also serves a ventilation function, with separate tubes supplying fresh oxygen to the astronaut’s face to continuously remove exhaled carbon dioxide. Unlike previous spacesuits, the LCVG features a backup cooling circuit in case the primary circuit fails.
A COLLABORATION BETWEEN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING AND CRAFTSMANSHIP EXCELLENCE…
Experience in developing products for space exploration “can come from many seemingly unrelated sectors,” explained Jonathan Cirtain, CEO of Axiom Space.
“The future of space exploration will not be built by a single entity, and our collaboration with Prada is proof of that,” Cirtain continued, adding: “by combining the best of aerospace engineering with craftsmanship excellence and advanced product design, we have created a garment that neither company could have made alone. It is precisely this kind of cross-sector approach that will define the next era of human spaceflight.”
…DESTINED TO GROW
For his part, Lorenzo Bertelli, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Sustainability of the Prada Group, recalled that “when we presented the AxEMU, we announced that the collaboration between Prada and Axiom Space would continue beyond that initial milestone. Today we are proud to present a new achievement, born from the unique combination of Axiom Space’s pioneering knowledge and Prada’s know-how in service of humanity’s return to the lunar surface. We look forward enthusiastically to continuing this collaboration with Axiom Space, continuing to push our respective boundaries and exploring new frontiers together.”
NOT ONLY PRADA, UNDER ARMOUR AND COLUMBIA ALSO LOOK TO SPACE
Finally, as Reuters reminds us, other fashion and apparel companies have ventured into the space sector. Under Armour has partnered with space company Virgin Galactic to create space apparel, while Columbia Sportswear has collaborated with American space exploration company Intuitive Machines on space fabric technology.
However, it remains to be seen whether other luxury brands will follow Prada’s example.
“In the luxury sector, it is important to be the first to do something, to set trends,” said Thomai Serdari, luxury brand strategist and marketing professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, emphasizing that Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Chanel are interested in space travel but will likely find new ways to establish themselves in this field.
