Prada is set to design the next generation of lunar spacesuits for NASA in collaboration with commercial space company Axiom Space.
The collaboration will see Prada’s engineers work alongside the Axiom Space systems team throughout the design process to develop NASA spacesuits for the Artemis III mission, which plans to land a team of astronauts on the south side of the moon in December 2025.
“We are thrilled to partner with Prada on the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit,” said Axiom CEO Michael Suffredini. “Prada’s technical expertise with raw materials, manufacturing techniques, and innovative design concepts will bring advanced technologies instrumental in ensuring not only the comfort of astronauts on the lunar surface but also the much-needed human factors considerations absent from legacy spacesuits.”
The new spacesuits, which will be an evolution of NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) spacesuit design, will give astronauts new tools, added flexibility and protection to safely perform their work in a challenging environment.
“Our decades of experimentation, cutting-edge technology and design know-how – which started back in the ’90s with Luna Rossa challenging for the America’s cup – will now be applied to the design of a spacesuit for the Artemis era,” said Prada Group Marketing Director Lorenzo Bertelli.
"It is a true celebration of the power of human creativity and innovation to advance civilization."
The Artemis III mission plans to place the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface 53 years after the Apollo 17 landing.
Photo credit: Axiom
