Axiom Space and Prada have revealed the new look for astronauts walking on the moon.(Image credit: Axiom Space)

Artemis moon suit designed by Axiom Space and Prada revealed in Milan (photos)

'We have broken the mold.'

16 Oct 2024, 13:00 by Robert Z. Pearlman · Space.com

The next U.S. astronauts to walk on the moon will do so in style.

Axiom Space, a Houston-based spaceflight services company, and Italian luxury fashion house Prada have revealed the outer layer of the spacesuit to be worn on NASA's first Artemis mission to land humans on the lunar surface. The unveiling occurred at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan.

"We have broken the mold," said Matt Ondler, Axiom's president, in a statement issued on Wednesday (Oct. 16). "The Axiom Space-Prada partnership has set a new foundational model for cross-industry collaboration."

Axiom Space and Prada have revealed the final look of the AxEMU spacesuit that Artemis crews will wear on the moon.(Image credit: Axiom Space)

Since first showing off a prototype of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or AxEMU, in 2023, Axiom has configured the spacesuit with a dark outer layer created by Esther Marquis, the costume designer for the alternate space history series "For All Mankind." The temporary black, blue and orange cover was intended to hide the garment's proprietary elements during its development.

The Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or AxEMU, spacesuit has a mostly white cover layer to reflect heat on the moon.(Image credit: Axiom Space)

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NASA awarded Axiom Space a $228 million task order in 2022 to provide the suits for the Artemis 3 mission, which is expected to launch no earlier than late 2026.

"We are pioneering a new era in space exploration where partnerships are imperative to the commercialization of space," said Russell Ralston, executive vice president of extravehicular activity at Axiom Space, referring to the work the company has done with Prada. "For the first time, we are leveraging expertise in other industries to craft a better solution for space."

The AxEMU suit passed its preliminary design review and will enter the critical design review phase in 2025. According to Axiom, the suit has been designed to support moonwalks lasting at least eight hours and has been tailored to meet the needs of NASA's chosen landing region on the moon. The AxEMU has been designed to withstand the extremes at the lunar south pole and endure the coldest temperatures in the permanently shadowed regions for at least two hours.

The suit features an onboard diagnostic system, a regenerable carbon dioxide scrubbing system and cooling technology to remove heat. It includes coatings on the helmet and visor to enhance the wearer's view and improved gloves over the gauntlets worn previously on the moon and in space.

The AxEMU has undergone testing and simulations with a variety of astronauts and engineers at in-house, SpaceX and NASA facilities. The suit has been put through unoccupied trials underwater at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) and has gone through reduced-gravity simulations at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Further testing, including crewed runs in the NBL and integrated trials with the prototypes for the Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle (or moon rovers), will continue as the AxEMU enters its final development stage over the next year.

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