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Prada: Destination Moon
The news was announced this morning at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan by Prada and its partner, the astronautics company Axiom Space. NASA has chosen the latter to oversee the development and delivery of the “Extravehicular Mobility Unit” (spacesuit) for Artemis III, a mission that aims to mark the great return of man to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. It was Axiom Space that approached Prada and asked the brand to help design the suit.
“We are pioneering a new era in space exploration,” Russell Ralston , Axiom Space’s executive vice president of extravehicular activities, said in a statement released ahead of this morning’s reveal. He added, “For the first time, we are drawing on the expertise of other industries to imagine the best solutions for space.”
A collaborative combination
Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group’s chief marketing officer and head of corporate social responsibility, led the project. He told George V Magazine New York: “The partnership with Axiom Space has been an unprecedented adventure. I am particularly proud of our teams who have worked to provide tailor-made solutions to improve the comfort and mobility of astronauts.”
In the images released today, there is no Prada logo to signal the Italian brand’s role in creating the spacesuit. That said, perhaps in keeping with the house’s aesthetic, the white suit features several red lines on its surface. These echo the pattern of the “Linea Rossa” line, originally developed to equip the America’s Cup sailing team. It’s also worth noting that in Italian, “Luna Rossa” translates to “Red Moon.”
The goal: resistance
In a joint statement, the suit’s co-creators said they focused on the outer layer of the suit and the materials. Once on the moon, the suit will allow astronauts to cope “for at least two hours, with the extreme temperatures of the lunar south pole and to withstand the coldest temperatures of regions that are constantly in the shade. Astronauts will be able to perform spacewalks for at least eight hours.”
The suit’s functionality was the top priority in design, although the statement notes that its aesthetics were also taken very seriously. Axiom’s engineers consulted with Italian fashion experts on how to produce a suit that would “visually inspire future space exploration.” “Prada’s expertise enabled the use of advanced technologies and innovative tailoring methods to bridge the gap between the suit’s functionality and its aesthetically more appealing white outer layer.”
Heading to Mars?
But that’s not all. The collaboration with Prada is just one small step in the larger Artemis project. Working with private-sector partners Axiom, Prada, and SpaceX (which developed the human landing system that will allow Artemis III’s pair of moonwalkers to reach and leave orbit), NASA intends to use Artemis as a platform to establish its technology and transportation protocols that will allow future generations to explore space, and even visit Mars.
Lorenzo Bertelli , marketing director of the Prada group , is also thinking about long-term goals. He said: “We have proposed to Axiom new weaving processes with high-performance yarns or almost seamless production that could be used in the future by the spacesuit team.”
Towards a space fashion
The astronauts selected for the next mission have not yet been announced, but NASA has already stated that “for the benefit of all humanity, NASA and its partners will land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon with Artemis.” The mission will be historic: Those selected will be the first to walk on the surface of the moon since Gene Cernan in December 1972. In total, 12 astronauts have landed on the moon, all in the short period between Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong ’s first moon landing in 1969 and the final Apollo 17 mission three and a half years later.
Spacesuit Photos Courtesy of Prada
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