The astronaut wears Prada: fashion conquers the Moon

Fashion is increasingly pushing beyond its perimeter. The last sector conquered is that of Space. Thus comes the collaboration between one of the symbolic brands of Made in Italy Prada e Axiom Spacea company dedicated to human space exploration. The two cutting-edge companies, each in their own sector, have in fact presented the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG)a futuristic garment designed with sophisticated techniques 3D modeling and able to guarantee cooling and ventilationwhile improving comfort during extravehicular activities up to eight hourswhich will be worn by astronauts inside the next generation spacesuit Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU). As the high-performance inner layer of the AxEMU, the LCVG was developed for protect astronauts from external elements during the exploration of the lunar surface, which humanity is preparing 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 this», declared the Dr. Jonathan CirtainCEO and President of Axiom Space. «Combining the best ofaerospace engineering with theartisanal excellence and advanced product design, we created a garment that neither company could have made on its own. It’s exactly that kind of transversal approach across different sectors that will define the next era of human spaceflight.”

The evolution of the partnership between Prada and Axiom Space

Already in 2024, Axiom Space and Prada had presented the outer layer of the AxEMUa garment capable of withstanding the extreme thermal variations and the micrometeorite-rich environment of the lunar South Pole, created with the contribution of Prada in design and product development. The new collaboration is thus anatural evolution of the partnershipmoving from the outermost protective shell to the layer closest to the astronaut’s body.

«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 result, born from the unique combination between pioneering knowledge of Axiom Space and the know-how di Prada in design, modeling and advanced materials, serving humanity’s return to the lunar surface,” he said Lorenzo BertelliChief Marketing Officer and Head of Sustainability of the Prada Group. «We look forward to the continuation of this collaboration with Axiom Space, continuing to overcome their respective borders and exploring new frontiers together».

How LCVG technology works

During extravehicular activities, astronauts’ bodies generate a significant amount of metabolic heat. The LCVG allows you to do so circulate cold water through a network of tubes distributed along major muscle groups, absorbing heat and transferring it to the suit’s portable life support system, from which it is then dissipated into space. Unlike traditional cooling systems, Axiom Space’s LCVG integrates a completely redundant cooling circuitensuring the availability of a backup system in the event of main circuit failure.

When astronauts will return to the Moon as part of the mission Artemis IV from NASAthe LCVG will be one of the few layers of protection between them and the hostile environment of space. The boss also plays a ventilation function: a separate circuit delivers fresh oxygen to the astronaut’s face and eliminates carbon dioxide exhaled. The gas is then redirected to the life support system, where the CO₂ is removed before the oxygen is recirculated again.

“For every minute astronauts spend outside the vehicle, the LCVG must work to keep them safe,” he said Russell RalstonSenior Vice President of Spacecraft Development at Axiom Space. «He manages theirs thermal environmentsupports the breathing and it does so while astronauts push their bodies to the limit. The work done together with Prada has brought these capabilities to a level that we could not have achieved alone.”