Italian fashion house Prada and Axiom Space have unveiled a jointly developed next-generation lunar spacesuit layer scheduled to be worn during NASA’s upcoming Artemis IV moon landing mission, currently targeted for early 2028.
The Houston-based space infrastructure developer announced Sunday that the liquid cooling and ventilation garment (LCVG) will act as an inner layer of the spacesuit and will protect astronauts “when they explore the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years.”
The partnership marks the first time a luxury fashion brand has been directly involved in spacesuit development.
“The future of space exploration will not be built by any one entity alone, and our partnership with Prada is proof of that,” Axiom Space CEO Dr. Jonathan Cirtain said.
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Prada reportedly contributed its expertise in advanced 3D modeling, high-tech knitting and specialized fabrics to help design the garment.
“By bringing together the best in both aerospace engineering as well as luxury craftmanship and advanced product development, we have developed a garment that neither company could have created independently, and that is exactly the kind of cross-industry thinking that will define the next era of human spaceflight,” Cirtain added.
Axiom said the garment is designed to be thermally regulating and comfortable enough to support spacewalks lasting up to eight hours, while also withstanding the harsh conditions of the lunar South Pole.
“It manages their thermal environment, supports their breathing, and does it all while they’re pushing their bodies to the limit,” Axiom Space Senior Vice President of Spacecraft Development Russell Ralston said. “The work we have done with Prada has taken that capability to a level we could not have achieved alone.”
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According to the announcement, the LCVG pumps cold water through a network of tubes positioned over major muscle groups to draw heat away from the body and release it into space. It also includes a backup cooling system in case the primary system fails.
The garment also features a separate ventilation system that continuously circulates oxygen across the astronaut’s face, removing exhaled carbon dioxide, which is then routed into a life-support system for filtering and reuse.
The inner layer is designed to be worn directly against the skin beneath the suit’s outer protective AxEMU shell, which the companies previously unveiled in 2024.
“When we unveiled the AxEMU, we announced that the collaboration between Prada and Axiom Space would continue beyond that first milestone,” Prada Group Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Sustainability Lorenzo Bertelli said.
“Today, we are proud to present a new achievement born from the unique combination of Axiom Space’s pioneering expertise and Prada’s know-how in design, patternmaking, and advanced materials, ahead of humanity’s return to the lunar surface,” he continued. “We look forward to continuing this collaboration with Axiom Space, pushing boundaries and exploring new frontiers together.”
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