Astronauts wear Prada 💅

NASA astronauts are set to embark on a mission to the Moon in 2025 with a touch of luxury, thanks to the collaboration between Italian fashion powerhouse Prada and private space company Axiom Space.

Prada’s involvement in this project is aimed at contributing their expertise in materials and manufacturing to design cutting-edge space suits. This expertise stems from their experience not only on the glamorous Milan runways but also from their involvement in the rigorous America’s Cup sailing competition.

According to Professor Jeffrey Hoffman, a seasoned astronaut with five NASA missions and four spacewalks under his belt, Prada’s familiarity with various composite fabrics positions them to make significant technical contributions to the outer layers of the new space suits. However, he clarified that while Prada’s involvement will ensure functionality and performance, we shouldn’t anticipate astronauts donning paisley or fancy-patterned space suits. The utmost priority remains maintaining a stable thermal environment within the suits.

Hoffman emphasized that a space suit essentially functions as a miniature spacecraft, providing essential elements like pressure, oxygen, and temperature control to ensure the astronaut’s safety and comfort during their mission.

Earlier this year, Axiom unveiled a space suit for the upcoming Artemis 3 mission, designed to be more suitable for female astronauts, weighing 55kg.

Artemis and Prada have expressed their commitment to leveraging innovative technologies and design to enable unprecedented lunar exploration during the Artemis 3 mission. This mission, the first crewed Moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972, will notably include the first female astronaut to set foot on the lunar surface, Christina Koch.