Prada 'flies' to the Moon with Axiom Space with inner layer for astronauts

Prada and Axiom Space presented in New York the garment designed to be worn by astronauts inside the next-generation Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) space suit, called the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG). A joint memo explains that it was developed to protect astronauts from the external elements during exploration of the lunar surface, which humanity is about to reach again for the first time in over 50 years. "The future of space exploration will not be built by a single entity, and our collaboration with Prada is proof of that," said Jonathan Cirtain, president and CEO of Axiom Space, adding, "By combining the best of aerospace engineering with excellent craftsmanship and advanced product design, we have created a garment that neither company could have made independently. It is exactly this kind of cross-industry approach that will define the next era of human spaceflight'. Lorenzo Bertelli, chief marketing officer and head of sustainability of the Prada Group, said: "When we presented the AxEMU, we announced that the collaboration between Prada and Axiom Space would continue beyond that first milestone. Today we are proud to present a new achievement, born from the unique combination of Axiom Space's pioneering knowledge and Prada's know-how at the service of humanity's return to the lunar surface. We look forward to the continuation of this collaboration with Axiom Space, continuing to push our respective boundaries and explore new frontiers together.

The collaboration to develop the LCVG benefited from Prada's expertise in knitting techniques and innovative design. The result is a next-generation garment designed with sophisticated 3D modelling techniques and capable of providing cooling and ventilation while enhancing comfort during extra-vehicular activities for up to eight hours. The press release explains that Prada's well-established expertise in high-performance materials has contributed to the identification and selection of technical fibres that allow the garment to be used repeatedly during long-duration missions.

The note recalls that in 2024, Axiom Space and Prada had presented the outer layer of the AxEMU, a garment able to withstand the extreme thermal variations and micrometeorite-rich environment of the lunar South Pole, made with Prada's contribution in design and product development. Extending the collaboration to the design of the LCVG represented a natural evolution of the partnership, moving from the outermost protective shell to the layer closest to the astronaut's body, where thermoregulation, comfort and reliability are key elements.

During extra-vehicular activities, the astronauts' bodies generate a considerable amount of metabolic heat. The LCVG circulates cold water through a network of tubes distributed along the main muscle groups, absorbing the heat and transferring it to the suit's portable life support system, from which it is then dissipated into space

me. Unlike conventional cooling systems, Axiom Space's LCVG integrates a fully redundant cooling circuit, ensuring the availability of a backup system in the event of a failure of the main circuit.