Axiom Space has selected an unconventional partner to assist in its development of spacesuits that will be worn by the next NASA astronauts to walk on the moon. Prada, the Italian luxury fashion house, announced Oct. 4 that they would collaborate on spacesuits Axiom is developing for use on Artemis missions, starting with Artemis 3 in 2025. Axiom Space will take advantage of Prada’s expertise in soft goods and other technologies to help with the suits. “While it doesn’t seem obvious what the technological reasons are for collaborating with a company like Prada,” acknowledged Michael Suffredini, chief executive of Axiom Space, in an interview, “they’re more than just a fashion company. They actually do quite a bit of technologically advanced things.” “Embedded in the culture of the company is much more than fashion,” said Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group marketing director, in an interview. He pointed to the company’s expertise in composite materials that dates back to the 1990s, when it founded the Luna Rossa yachting team to compete for the America’s Cup. Prada will assist Axiom in working on the outer layer of its spacesuit, which has to protect the suit’s inner layers from the space environment, including lunar dust, without hindering its mobility. “When it comes to the design side of that piece of it makes a lot of sense because Prada has a lot of experience in the design, the look and feel,” Suffredini said. “More importantly, there’s these technological challenges to try to overcome as well.”
Full story : Prada and Axiom Space collaborate to design NASA’s lunar spacesuits.