NASA Astronauts to Wear Prada for Lunar Missions in Advanced Tech Collaboration

Space technology company Axiom Space, in collaboration with luxury fashion house Prada, has introduced the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG), a cooling and ventilation garment to be worn by astronauts within the AxEMU spacesuit during lunar surface missions. The launch of the LCVG is part of the development of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit, designed to protect astronauts as they return to explore the Moon for the first time in over 50 years.

Jonathan Cirtain, CEO and President of Axiom Space, stated that the collaboration demonstrates how the future of space exploration requires cross-industry cooperation. “The future of space exploration will not be built by a single entity alone, and our partnership with Prada is tangible proof. By combining aerospace engineering excellence, luxury manufacturing skills, and advanced product development, we have successfully created a garment that could not have been developed independently by either company,” Cirtain said in a statement.

Prada contributed expertise in knit engineering and innovative design, utilising advanced 3D modelling techniques. This technology ensures the cooling and ventilation systems operate optimally while enhancing astronaut comfort during extravehicular activities lasting up to eight hours. Prada also assisted in selecting specialised high-performance materials and fibres that allow the garment to be reused during long-duration missions.

This follows a 2024 collaboration where Prada assisted in developing the outer layer of the AxEMU spacesuit, designed to withstand extreme temperatures and micrometeoroid environments at the lunar south pole. The LCVG development represents an advanced stage of this partnership, focusing on the layer in direct contact with the astronaut’s body to maintain temperature regulation and reliability.

Lorenzo Bertelli, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Sustainability at Prada Group, noted that the collaboration will continue as humanity prepares to return to the Moon. Technically, the LCVG works by circulating cold water through a network of tubes placed over the astronaut’s major muscle groups. The system absorbs body heat generated during activities and transfers it to a portable life support system. Unlike previous generations, the Axiom Space LCVG features a fully redundant dual cooling circuit to ensure safety if the primary path fails. Additionally, the garment supports respiratory ventilation by circulating fresh oxygen to the face area to remove exhaled carbon dioxide.