NASA Astronauts Will Wear Prada Spacesuits During 2026 Artemis Moon Mission: See the Photos!

• Axiom Space announced Wednesday, October 16, that it has partnered with Prada to build the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit, which will be used for NASA’s Artemis III mission
• The white spacesuit, which has gray and red stripes, has a biometric control interface for the suit, custom-made gloves and boots designed to “endure lunar temperatures and rugged terrain,” among other features.
• Axiom Space said the AxEMU spacesuit is “nearing the final stages of development” and has already “undergoed extensive testing” while underwater “to simulate the lunar environment.”

NASA astronauts will be landing on the moon in style for their latest mission!

Axiom Space, a Houston-based company that organizes missions for “private and national astronauts,” announced Wednesday, Oct. 16, that it has partnered with Prada to create the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) space suit, which will be used to NASA’s Artemis III mission.

The white spacesuit, which has gray and red stripes, has a biometrically monitored suit control interface, custom-made gloves and boots designed to “withstand lunar temperatures and rugged terrain,” according to a press release. It also has a helmet and visor to “enhance the astronaut’s view of the environment”, along with an HD camera, lights and advanced 4G/LTE communications.

Another important feature of the suit is its square back pack, which is designed to help astronauts “endure extreme temperatures” in the shadowed areas of the moon for “at least two hours” — something the astronauts will likely use while exploring the shadowed region of the moon’s south pole during the mission.

AxEMU space suit.

Courtesy of Prada / Axiom Space

‘Opportunity of a lifetime’ Lindsey Stirling — tours NASA amid plans to send first woman to the moon

It will also “keep astronauts safe for up to 8 hours” during a spacewalk and is “adaptable for missions on the lunar surface and in low Earth orbit,” according to the release. In addition, the suit has a “regenerative C02 scavenging system” and “cooling technology to remove heat from the system.”

“Our elite teams have redefined spacesuit development, establishing new paths toward innovative solutions and applying a cutting-edge design approach to AxEMU,” Axiom Space’s president said in a press release.

“We broke the mold,” he added. “The Axiom Space-Prado partnership has set a new foundational model for cross-industry collaboration, further expanding what is possible in the commercial space.”

AxEMU Space Suit Specifications.

Courtesy of Prada / Axiom Space

Never miss a story — subscribe to PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling people-interest stories.

The company noted that the design of the suit is not only for aesthetic purposes, but also for practicality, as the suits are designed to provide astronauts with an “increased level of comfort” while improving the suit’s performance.

The company noted that Prada’s “in-depth knowledge and experience of materials and manufacturing processes” played a major role in the development of the “spacesuit cover layer,” and the fashion house also recommended features “that would protect astronauts from the unique challenges of the lunar environment and visually inspire future space exploration.”

All about NASA’s Artemis I mission, including how to watch the Mega rocket launch to the moon

AxEMU space suit.

Piero Cruciatti/Anadolu via Getty

Axiom Space said the AxEMU spacesuit is “nearing the final stages of development” and has already “undergoed extensive testing” while underwater “for simulation of the lunar environment” at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) and reduced gravity simulations in NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

It also successfully completed a “pressure simulation,” the “first test of its kind since the Apollo era,” with all Artemis III partners including NASA and SpaceX. Axiom Space said the suit will continue to “undergo testing” with “manned underwater tests” and “integrated tests with Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle prototypes” before entering the “critical design review phase” next year.

Artemis III is scheduled to launch in 2026 after two Artemis test missions, and “will mark the first human return to the lunar surface in more than 50 years,” according to NASA. This mission will be the first time humans have explored the Moon’s south pole, and will also set the stage for future missions when NASA and its partners assemble the Gateway lunar space station.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education