Prada, the epitome of refined craftsmanship in the fashion world, is taking its skills to new heights, quite literally. In a remarkable collaboration between the Italian luxury house and the commercial space company Axiom Space, Prada has been designated as the official designer for NASA’s lunar spacesuits for the Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2025.
The Artemis III mission is a pivotal moment in space exploration, representing the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972 and marking the historic occasion when a woman sets foot on the lunar surface. In the fashion world, this mission will be remembered for bringing Prada’s exquisite craftsmanship to the moon.
Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Marketing Director, stated, “The constantly forward-thinking ethos of Prada for humanity has broadened to his desire of adventure and to brave new horizons: space. We are honored to be a part of this historic mission with Axiom Space.”
At the heart of the mission’s success is the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit, a joint endeavor by Prada and Axiom Space. In this collaboration, Prada’s engineers will collaborate with the Axiom Space team to develop solutions for materials and design features that will enable astronauts to address the unique challenges of space and the lunar environment.
The AxEMU spacesuit is poised to provide advanced capabilities for space exploration while offering NASA commercially developed human systems essential for lunar access, habitation, and work. It builds upon NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) spacesuit design, offering increased flexibility, superior protection against the harsh lunar environment, and specialized tools tailored for exploration and scientific activities. These innovative spacesuits hold the promise of expanding the horizons of lunar exploration.