Prada and Axiom Space shoot for the moon with new spacesuit

MILAN, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Italian luxury group Prada 1913.F and Houston-based startup Axiom Space unveiled on Wednesday the design of a spacesuit that will be used for NASA's Artemis 3 mission to the moon.

Artemis 3, planned as the first astronaut moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972, is currently scheduled for 2026.

The new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), showcased at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan, aims to combine highly engineered functionality and aesthetics to deal with challenging lunar conditions.

The spacesuits were made to withstand extreme temperatures at the lunar south pole and endure the coldest temperatures in the permanently shadowed regions for at least two hours, the two companies said in a joint statement.

Astronauts will be able to perform spacewalks for at least eight hours.

Russell Ralston, Executive Vice President, EVA Program Manager for Axiom Space attends a presentation of Prada and Axiom Space's spacesuit (Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit) designed and developed for the Artemis III lunar mission, in Milan, Italy, October 16, 2024. REUTERS/Claudia Greco

The AxEMU has already undergone extensive testing, including underwater to simulate the lunar environment. It is nearing the final development stage, the two companies said.

"I'm very proud of the result we're showing today, which is just the first step in a long-term collaboration with Axiom Space," Prada's Chief Marketing Officer Lorenzo Bertelli said in a statement.

As the space exploration and tourism industries develop, luxury brands are exploring possible partnerships.

Last month French fashion house Pierre Cardin unveiled an astronaut training suit, set to be used at the European Space Agency's center in Cologne.

Hotel group Hilton is working with Voyager Space to support the design and development of crew suites aboard the planned commercial space station Starlab.

(Reporting by Elisa Anzolin; Editing by Keith Weir)