"We are witnessing the beginning of a new era, as the internet was in the 1980s. Today access to space is still something for the few, but just as in computing, in a few years prices will come down. Everyone should indulge in the beauty of an adventure."
At the International Astronautical Congress 2024 which happened in Milan, Prada presented at the event in a NASA spacesuit that aimed to bring a lot more comfort for the astronauts in the 2026 Artemis 3 mission.
In his statement, Lorenzo Bertelli talked about the reveal of innovation from Prada, the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit, which represents a Prada spacesuit made in collaboration between the fashion house and the startup Axiom Space, and it will be used for NASA’s Artemis 3 mission to the moon.
Bertelli continued to confirm that this collaboration is not for marketing or commercial purposes, but only to overcome their limits in creating some of the next innovations worldwide.
"We will eventually think about those later, but overcoming our limits is one of the values that best reflect the spirit of Prada. It is the first step in the collaboration with Axiom Space.", he stated.
The Axiom Space startup also wants to overcome its limits, and this costume represents a significant evolution from the previous NASA Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit ( xEMU) which is designed to be used for outside activities around the International Space Station.
This Prada Axiom Spacesuit is specially created to have flexibility and to ensure a higher level of safety and efficiency, and AxEMU has included some specialized instruments to explore the lunar south pole, where the temperature can be extreme and the fine regolith, which is light as talcum powder it clings to every surface and penetrates in every crevice.
So, the Prada spacesuit can tolerate the extreme temperatures from the lunar south pole along with the harsh climate for a minimum of 2 hours and also can endure a minimum of 8 hours of extravehicular activities.
It seems that from the point of view of the executive vice president of extravehicular activities for Axiom Space, the most difficult part of the NASA spacesuit was to create the boots because they must adapt quickly to different conditions.
What’s impressive is that the Prada Axiom Spacesuit is specially created to fit quickly in about two minutes, and will also be suitable for both and men women astronauts. Also, the suit has multiple redundant systems and an integrated diagnostic system. It also includes a regenerable carbon dioxide removal system and a cooling technology for heat dissipation.
According to Russel Ralson, the controls and communications have external interfaces, and the helmet and visor are created with advanced coatings to optimize visibility.
Even though the NASA spacesuit is incomplete and needs to pass a lot of tests, President Matt Ondler confirmed that it will be ready for the Artemis 3 mission in 2026.
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