The astronaut now wears Prada, and so does the female astronaut – at least a little. The Texan company Axiom Space has developed new spacesuits for the moon together with the Italian luxury fashion brand on behalf of NASA.
They are expected to be used on the US space agency’s next moon mission, scheduled for fall 2026. More than half a century after the first moon landing, a woman will be part of the Artemis III program for the first time.
The new models are very similar to the white full-body suits with which NASA brought a total of twelve Americans to the moon between 1969 and 1972 as part of its ‘Apollo’ program: thick and fireproof one-piece suits with a massive helmet, a backpack and heavy boots.
The unisex suits, which were now presented for the first time in Milan, have a slightly more fashionable chic. However, nothing remained of Prada’s usual slim line. In addition to the American flag, you will also find the fashion house’s typical red stripes on the sleeves.
Suitable to withstand extreme conditions
It is important that the multifunctional clothing can withstand extreme loads, such as the hard moon dust or temperatures between minus 200 degrees Celsius and more than 150 degrees plus. The suit consists of a total of 25 layers. It also continuously measures bodily functions.
Artificial oxygen can keep astronauts alive for up to 13 hours while walking outside. The operation in the Moon’s South Pole crater, where the mission will land, is expected to last about a week in total. The mission was already planned for next year, but was then postponed.
Unisex suit weighs 90 kilograms
A camera is integrated into the helmet of the 90-kilogram unisex suit. Contact with the other astronauts and with Earth is maintained via a 4G connection. The technology was developed by Axiom Space. Prada was mainly concerned with the visual appearance. Axiom manager Russell Ralston spoke of a “perfect marriage between functionality, comfort and design”.
In Artemis III – named after the Greek moon goddess – four astronauts must fly to the moon: two of them remain in orbit around Earth’s satellite, two of them land on it. The European Space Agency ESA and space organizations from other countries are also involved.
The last time American astronauts landed on the moon was during the ‘Apollo 17’ mission in December 1972. Unmanned moon landings have also been carried out by the former Soviet Union, China and India.
Source: Krone
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