Italian luxury house Prada has unveiled the latest stage of its collaboration with Axiom Space for Nasa's Artemis lunar programme, for its lunar landing currently targeted for early 2028.
Scheduled to be the first crewed Moon landing since December 1972, Nasa's intention is for it to be the first time a woman and a person of colour will land on the surface.
A crucial element of the programme is the spacesuit that will protect astronauts from the Moon’s hostile environment.
An essential part of this Nasa mission will be the suits that will protect astronauts from the hostile environments they encounter.
Prada is leaning into its expert knowledge of materials to develop the space suits along with Axiom Space, the private American aerospace company that operates commercial flights to the International Space Station.
After unveiling the outer layer of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) in 2024, Prada has now revealed the base layer worn beneath it. Presented at the brand’s New York store, the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG) is designed to regulate body temperature during lunar missions while remaining comfortable enough to be worn for extended periods.
As the layer closest to the astronaut's body, it is crucial for regulating temperature, while its proximity to the skin means it must not only be reliable, but comfortable too.
The body-hugging knitted suit is threaded with several tubes embedded into the fabric. External tube-ends are designed to plug into the outer layer of the suit as part of the astronaut's life support system.
With expertise in engineered knitting, advanced materials and innovation, Prada is able to draw on its knowledge to create garments that can withstand the hostile environments of space travel.
This latest next-generation arrival has been created using sophisticated 3D modelling techniques, and is designed to support astronauts during spacewalks lasting up to eight hours.
Prada says the system has been engineered to withstand the extreme thermal conditions and micrometeoroid environment of the lunar south pole while supporting a new era of human exploration.
While a partnership between a luxury fashion house and a space company may seem unconventional, it reflects growing interest in the future commercialisation of space. As companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin continue to invest in private space flight, Prada is positioning itself at the intersection of luxury, technology and the next frontier of travel.
Beyond the Artemis programme, Axiom Space is also developing the world’s first commercial space station, intended to eventually succeed the International Space Station.
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