Prada unveils its space suit for NASA’s Artemis III mission

Last October, Axiom Space and Prada partnered to create a new spacesuit for NASA’s Artemis III mission—the first manned lunar adventure since Apollo 17 in 1972. One year later, the pair revealed a first look at the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) during the International Astronautical Congress in Milan. The suit is white with red and gray accents which certainly looks sleeker than a typical space suit.

The pair claims the new spacesuit design improves flexibility, can handle an eight-hour spacewalk and will withstand two hours of the coldest temperatures at the lunar south pole. “Prada’s product design and development team worked alongside Axiom Space engineers on recommendations for materials and custom features that protect astronauts against the unique challenges of the lunar environment and would visually inspire future space exploration “, the companies said in a joint statement.

The suit is almost finished, having undergone tests and simulations at Axiom Space, SpaceX and NASA facilities. It should enter a final review in 2025, after the completion of the remaining assessments. NASA originally planned to launch Artemis III in 2025 and pushed it back to at least September 2026 earlier this year. The space agency originally awarded Axiom the mission in 2022.