Prada is now a spacesuit designer, and it is proudly unveiled as Axiom Space's new partner in developing the AxEMU suit that will soon be used by astronauts in their lunar ventures. It was revealed that the spacesuit that Prada and Axiom Space are working on is meant for the first landing attempt to be performed by NASA in the Artemis III mission which is scheduled two years from now.
Despite being famous for its luxury and designer bags, clothes, and more, Prada is now helping a larger cause on a cosmic scale, with its efforts to help fulfill the historical return of humans to the Moon.
Prada is Now Designing a Spacesuit with Axiom Space
Axiom Space unveiled its latest partner to develop the AxEMU in a new press release, tapping into the Italian luxury fashion house, Prada, to provide their expertise in creativity and engineering for the spacesuit. The Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) picks up on the previous NASA Exploration's xEMU spacesuit design where both Axiom Space and Prada will improve.
It was noted by Axiom that Prada will not only focus on the new spacesuit's design, as the more-than-a-century-old fashion house was credited for its innovative work and in-depth knowledge of materials.
Prada's design and product development team already helped Axiom by recommending materials to help improve the spacesuit, particularly with the challenges that astronauts will face on the lunar surface.
Prada, Axiom's AxEMU to Be Used for NASA Artemis III
Prada and Axiom's current AxEMU spacesuit development will bring the protection and gear required by the NASA Artemis III venture, and this mission is known for being the first time astronauts will land on the Moon since the last Apollo mission.
Axiom lauds Prada for its expertise and advanced technologies which introduced new sewing methods, integrating "engineered functionality" and the white outer layer which increases comfort and protection to reflect heat and protect from lunar dust.
NASA's Artemis III Mission is Coming
The third mission in the Artemis program is one of the most awaited ventures from NASA, as its goal is to achieve a human landing that will mark a new historic event in the world, marking humanity's return to the Moon. However, NASA recently announced delays to the entire Artemis mission citing safety concerns, and this was determined after Artemis I's events that launched two years ago.
Originally, NASA planned to commence the Artemis III mission by December 2025, and this particular mission will perform the first human landing on the Moon after over five decades since the last Apollo mission. Initially, NASA feared that the cause of the delay would be SpaceX, especially as the company was not able to make significant progress with the Starship last year, with the Starship HLS spacecraft a crucial part of the mission.
Apart from marking humanity's return, and more importantly their landing, to the Moon with the Artemis III, it will also bring the first female astronaut to take the historic step on the lunar surface. A lot is riding on the Artemis III mission that is set for two years from now, and it is now revealed that Prada, in collaboration with Axiom Space, will deliver the spacesuits to be worn for the upcoming feat.
