NASA Astronauts to Wear Prada-Designed Suits for Lunar Exploration in Artemis III Mission 2026
On October 16, Axiom Space, a Houston-based company specializing in arranging missions for “private and national astronauts”, announced their collaboration with Prada to create the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU).
The white suit, featuring gray and red stripes, includes controls for biometric tracking, gloves, and specially designed shoes to “withstand the temperatures of the Moon and rugged terrain.” The suit is accompanied by a helmet and visor to “enhance astronauts’ visibility of their surroundings,” along with an HD camera, lights, and an advanced 4G/LTE communication system.
Prada and Axiom Space create advanced suits for NASA professionals in the Artemis III mission. (Image: Prada, Axiom Space).
Another key feature of the suit is the square box at the back, designed to help astronauts “withstand extreme temperatures” in the Moon’s dark regions “for at least two hours.” Experts believe this will be essential for astronauts exploring the Moon’s South Pole during the mission.
The design is capable of “keeping astronauts safe for up to 8 hours” during spacewalks and “can adapt to surface operations on the Moon and low Earth orbit missions.” Additionally, the suit features a “reusable CO2 scrubbing system” and “cooling technology to dissipate heat from the system.”
Matt Ondler, president of Axiom Space, stated in a press release: “We have broken the mold of a traditional suit. Axiom Space and Prada have established a new foundational model for interdisciplinary collaboration, further expanding the possibilities in the space industry.”
AxEMU Space Suit. (Image: Prada, Axiom Space).
He also emphasized that the suit is designed not only for aesthetics but also for practicality, providing astronauts with “greater comfort” alongside improved performance.
The company noted that Prada’s “in-depth knowledge and experience in materials and manufacturing processes” played a significant role in developing the explorers’ suits, which also propose features that “both protect scientists from the unique challenges of the lunar environment and visually inspire future space exploration.”
Axiom Space stated that the AxEMU is “approaching the final development phase” and has “undergone extensive testing” in underwater environments “to simulate lunar conditions” at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) and in reduced gravity simulations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Specifications of the AxEMU space suit. (Image: Prada, Axiom Space).
The suit has successfully “simulated pressure,” marking “the first test of its kind since Apollo,” involving all partners of Artemis III, including NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Axiom Space indicated that the suit continues to undergo “crewed underwater testing” and “integration tests with Artemis lunar rover prototypes” before entering a critical design evaluation phase next year.
Artemis III is scheduled for launch in 2026, following two test missions. According to NASA, this event marks humanity’s first return to the lunar surface in over 50 years. The mission will be the first human exploration of the Moon’s South Pole and will set the stage for future missions as NASA and its partners assemble the lunar Gateway space station.
Prada is regarded as one of the most influential fashion houses in the global fashion industry. Founded in 1913 by Mario Prada, the Italian brand is currently run by his granddaughter, Miuccia Prada, and designer Raf Simons in the role of creative director.
