Prada joins the space race by co-designing a suit for Artemis III's moon mission

Axiom has teamed up luxury clothing brand Prada in order to design a new spacesuit that will land among the stars. At least, Earth's nearest neighbor. All this is in support of NASA's Artemis III mission, which will take place in 2026. This will be the first time NASA has returned to the surface of Earth since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Axiom Space, which has been working on the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit since at least 2022, is developing this new space suit. Prada's involvement in the project is a surprise. But how involved is Prada?

A detailed press release by Axiom (via The Verge), states that Prada was the company most involved with the outer layer of the suit, highlighting its 111-year old textile knowledge and production experience. Axiom Space's engineers worked closely with Prada's team of product developers to determine the best material for the outer layer.

The engineers also learned a few tips on how to build the space suit so that astronauts can be comfortable wearing it for long spacewalks. Axiom has built almost everything else, including the "regenerable CO2 scrubbing systems" which I find extremely cool.

Lorenzo Bertelli, the group chief marketing officer at Prada, said that this is "just a first step in a longer-term collaboration." He added, "We have shared our expertise about high-performance fabrics, features, sewing techniques, and learned a great deal." I'm certain we'll continue exploring new challenges, expanding our horizons and building new scenarios together.

Prada's involvement in the project is superficial, but it shouldn't go unnoticed. Fashion is often dismissed as frivolous, but even a cursory glance at its role in history shows that it has always been an effective storytelling tool. What story is Axiom attempting to tell through the news about this collaboration?

Russell Ralston is Axiom's executive vice-president of extravehicular activities. He says it best in a press release: "We are pioneering an era of space exploration in which partnerships are essential to the commercialization space."

The press release touts the suit's anthropomorphic sizing, which is said to fit a variety of body types. However, not everyone will be an astronaut. Prada's involvement is not just to catch the public's attention, but also to attract investors who want to see their names on the rocket.