The outer shell design and materials research are a collaborative effort that began when the two companies, both industry leaders, decided to combine creativity and engineering to design the next generation of spacesuits.
“Our dedicated teams redefined spacesuit development for the AxEMU project, exploring innovative solutions with a cutting-edge approach to design,” said Axiom Space President Matt Ondler. “We’ve broken the mold. The partnership between Axiom Space and Prada sets a precedent that will help us rethink cross-industry collaboration, opening up new avenues and opportunities for commercial space services.”
During the development phase, Axiom Space showed the suit with a dark coating to hide its technology, but the version that will arrive on the Moon will be made of a white material that reflects heat and protects astronauts from extreme heat and lunar dust.
In the words of Lorenzo Bertelli, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility of the Prada Group: «Pushing our limits is one of the values that best reflects the spirit of Prada and the vision of my parents. I am very proud of the result we are showing today, it is the first step of the collaboration with Axiom Space. We have shared our know-how on high-performance materials, new solutions and sewing techniques, learning a lot from each other. I am sure that we will continue to explore new routes, broaden our horizons and reach new goals together».
Prada’s deep knowledge and experience of materials and production processes has been expressed well beyond the outer layer of the suit. The design and product development teams worked with Axiom Space engineers to suggest specially designed materials and solutions that, in addition to protecting astronauts from the challenges of a hostile environment such as the lunar one, will inspire the future of space exploration. In addition, Prada’s know-how allowed for the adoption of advanced technologies and innovative sewing methods to reconcile highly engineered functionality with the aesthetics of the white coating, increasing both the comfort for astronauts and performance.
The AxEMU program is emblematic of the non-traditional partnerships that are emerging in the aerospace industry to support exploration missions. Since 2022, when it received the first order for Artemis worth 228 million dollars, Axiom Space has benefited from the public-private agreement with NASA to bring together recognized experts in various fields and ask for their input on the design and development of this next-generation suit.
“We are ushering in a new era of space exploration, and partnerships are essential to commercialization,” said Russell Ralston, executive vice president of spaceflight for Axiom Space. “Bringing together strong, cohesive teams from multiple companies allows us to explore advanced technologies, specialized products and innovative services with the help of experienced people. For the first time, we are opening up expertise from other industries to optimize solutions for space.”
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