MILAN, Italy — The astronauts who go to the moon on the Artemis III mission will be decked out in designer duds. Axiom and Prada unveiled the new spacesuits on Wednesday.
The luxury fashion house and Axiom spacesuit development teams blended creativity with engineering as they designed the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuits.
“Our elite teams have redefined spacesuit development, establishing new pathways to innovative solutions and applying a state-of-the-art design approach for the AxEMU,” Axiom Space President Matt Ondler said. “We have broken the mold."
The next-generation spacesuits feature several innovative designs.
- They'll be made from a white material that reflects heat and protects astronauts from extreme high temperatures and lunar dust.
- The specially engineered boots will allow astronauts to spacewalk for at least eight hours.
- Advanced coatings on the helmet and visor will enhance the astronauts’ view of their surroundings
- The spacesuit includes life support systems, pressure garments, avionics and other innovative systems to meet exploration needs and expand scientific opportunities.
- The spacesuits are also more comfortable and easier to move around in without sacrificing performance or safety, according to Axiom. They credit Prada's "in-depth knowledge of textile production and sewing techniques" with bridging the gap between functionality and style.
'A huge feat'
Nearly a dozen Prada employees commuted between their home base in Milan, Italy and Axiom's Houston headquarters to work on the spacesuits, according to CNN.
“This is a groundbreaking partnership,” Axiom Space Executive Vice President Russel Ralston said. “We’re blending engineering, science and art.”
In June, we introduced you to Axiom's Zach Paugh who was part of the team.
"We have to build a spacesuit that is essentially a personalized spacecraft with its own atmosphere, its own pressure, its own water system that can sustain the person who is exploring for up to ten hours. That’s a huge feat," Paugh told us.
Paugh’s attention to detail was tailored in theater. Before coming to Axiom, he designed costumes for Cirque de Soleil and worked on the show "KA" in Las Vegas.
When the pandemic hit, the curtains closed and Paugh was without a job. But not for long. He soon landed in Space City, working as a costume shop manager at the Houston Ballet. Then, the stars aligned.
"I just so happened to get a ping about a spacesuit sewing technician position at Axiom Space, and I looked through all the qualifications and saw that the requirements for a spacesuit sewing technician are the same requirements as working on costumes for theater. So, I said, I’m going to do this. I have to do this," Paugh said.
Paugh started at Axiom as a technician, building gloves for the next-generation spacesuit. Shortly after, he became the head of that team.
"To be a part of this groundbreaking part of history, how this will impact the entire world, is incredible. It’s once in a lifetime," Paugh said.
One thing you won't see on the fancy new spacesuits that are trimmed in blue, red and gray are Prada logos.
NASA's Artemis III mission is currently scheduled for the second half of 2026. If all goes as planned, it will be the first astronaut moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972, CNN reports. It could also be the first time a woman walks on the moon.
