NASA Astronauts Will Wear Prada for Artemis Moonwalk

Axiom Space unveils the spacesuit, designed in partnership with the luxury brand, that Artemis III astronauts will wear on the moon’s surface.

Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 04:59 PM ET

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NASA astronauts will wear this specially designed suit—developed by Axiom Space in partnership with Prada—when they walk on the moon as soon as 2026. [Courtesy: Axiom Space]

Key Takeaways:

Axiom Space unveiled its AxEMU spacesuit, designed for astronauts exploring the lunar south pole during NASA's Artemis III mission, tentatively scheduled for September 2026, replacing NASA's current four-decade-old suits which have experienced malfunctions.
Developed under a nearly $230 million task order, the AxEMU suit features advanced capabilities for extreme lunar conditions, including an 8-hour life support system, enhanced flexibility, improved vision, redundant diagnostic systems, and an outer material designed in partnership with Prada to reflect heat and protect against dust.
The suit, which can accommodate diverse body types and is nearing its critical design review, is being tested for both lunar and low-Earth orbit missions, highlighting a new model for cross-industry collaboration in commercial space.

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NASA private contractor Axiom Space on Wednesday unveiled the flight design of its extravehicular mobility unit (AxEMU) spacesuit: the one astronauts will wear as they explore the lunar south pole during the Artemis III moon mission, tentatively scheduled for September 2026.

Axiom received a nearly $230 million task order to develop the AxEMU suit, which Artemis astronauts will test out on the lunar surface. The task order is part of a contract with NASA worth up to $3.5 billion that also includes Collins Aerospace, which earlier this year abandoned efforts to develop extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuits under its own $100 million task order.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.