By
Bloomberg
Published
Oct 4, 2023
Astronauts on an upcoming NASA mission will head to the moon in style, decked out in Prada spacesuits.
The Italian fashion label will work with Axiom Space on the next generation of lunar spacesuits to be used for NASA’s Artemis III mission planned for 2025, the companies said in a statement Wednesday. Artemis III will be the first manned lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972 and will include one female crew member.
In choosing a design partner for its Extravehicular Mobility Unit suit, space station developer Axiom cited Prada’s technical expertise with raw materials, manufacturing techniques as well as “innovative design concepts.”
Engineers from the label owned by Prada SpA will work with Axiom teams throughout the design process and will develop solutions for materials and design features to protect “against the unique challenge of space and the lunar environment.”
Prada Group Marketing Director Lorenzo Bertelli said the brand has honed its expertise with cutting-edge technologies from work with its Luna Rossa Prada Americas Cup sailing team.
NASA announced in April that the Artemis program will include Christina Koch and Victor Glover, the first woman and the first person of color to travel into deep space.