Prada and Axiom Space to produce space suits for NASA

This is the first revolutionary partnership between a commercial aerospace company and an Italian luxury brand: Axiom Space, a leader in the space industry and the creator of the first commercial space station, announces its collaboration with Prada for the new NASA spacesuits intended for the Artemis III lunar mission. The mission, scheduled for 2025, will be the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in December 1972, and it will also be the first to bring a woman to this satellite.

«We are excited to collaborate with Prada on the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit,» said Michael Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space. «Prada's expertise in raw materials, production techniques, and design will allow us to apply advanced technologies to ensure the comfort of astronauts on the lunar surface, taking into consideration those human factors that are as necessary as they are currently absent in traditional spacesuits.» Throughout the entire design process, Prada and Axiom Space teams will work side by side to develop innovative solutions in terms of materials and design that provide both protection and respond to the challenges of such a unique environment as the lunar one. «Prada's constant avant-garde vision has given rise to a new desire for adventure towards new horizons: space,» said Lorenzo Bertelli, Marketing Director of the Prada Group. «It is an honor for us to be part of this mission with Axiom Space. The spacesuit for the Artemis era will bring together decades of experimentation, the study of cutting-edge technologies, and know-how in the field of design collected since the 1990s when Luna Rossa participated in the America's Cup. It is a celebration of creativity and innovation in the progress of civilization.»

The AxEMU suit will provide astronauts with even more advanced capabilities for space exploration, while also giving NASA the opportunity to harness commercially developed systems that humans need to access, live, and work on and around the Moon. These suits are an evolution of NASA's Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) model and are designed to offer greater flexibility and protection in a hostile environment, as well as specialized tools for exploration and scientific activities. Thanks to applied technologies and innovative design, they will also expand the range of lunar exploration like never before. The development of these next-generation suits marks a significant milestone in space exploration, allowing for a deeper understanding of the Moon, the solar system, and much more.