In a fashion-forward move, NASA has enlisted the expertise of luxury fashion brand Prada to co-design space suits for its 2025 Moon mission. Partnering with private space company Axiom Space, Prada will lend its material and manufacturing prowess to the project.
According to one astronaut, Prada’s extensive design experience, not only on the Milan catwalks but also through involvement in events like the America’s Cup sailing competition, makes them a fitting collaborator. Professor Jeffrey Hoffman, a former NASA astronaut, noted Prada’s experience with composite fabrics, which could contribute to the new space suit’s outer layers.
However, expectations of fashion-forward space attire should be tempered. Hoffman stressed the suit’s primary function is to maintain a stable thermal environment for astronauts. He likened it to a miniature spacecraft, responsible for providing pressure, oxygen, and temperature control.
Earlier this year, Axiom Space introduced a 55kg spacesuit tailored for female astronauts, set to be worn on the upcoming Artemis 3 mission. The collaboration between Artemis and Prada aims to leverage innovative technologies and designs to enhance lunar exploration. The Artemis 3 mission marks a historic return to the Moon, the first since Apollo 17 in 1972, and includes the first female astronaut to land on the lunar surface, Christina Koch.
The collaboration marks new intersection between fashion, technology, and space exploration, with Prada stepping into the cosmos to redefine what it means to be stylish on the Moon.
