Fashion house Prada and Axiom Space revealed their new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit at the recent International Astronautical Congress in Milan.
Texas-based Axiom Space, which operates missions to the International Space Station (ISS), bills itself as “the leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rate space infrastructure.” For the AxEMU, it teamed up with Prada, drawing on the brand’s expertise in high-end performance materials and sewing techniques in developing and designing the new spacesuit for the Artemis III lunar mission.
US space agency NASA awarded the US$228 million Artemis III task order to Axiom Space in 2022, the first such outsourcing under a contract valued at US$1.26 billion. The US expects to land the first woman on the Moon dressed in the Prada suit.
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According to the Axiom, engineers worked alongside Prada’s design and production development team on “customised material recommendations and features” to protect astronauts against the dangers of the lunar environment while also offering better performance, increased comfort and – naturally – greater aesthetic appeal.
The increased performance, flexibility and safety of the AxEMU will allow for at least two hours in the extreme cold of the permanently shadowed lunar regions and at least eight hours on spacewalks. Onboard diagnostic systems work to ensure safety, while details like advanced helmet and visor coatings keep vision clear. Custom-made gloves offer several advancements over those currently in use.
Two years in development has also involved extensive testing in simulated conditions at NASA labs. As the AxEMU nears the final phase of development, it will undergo a new round of crewed tests, and tests with the Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle prototypes, before entering the critical review phase in 2025.
