The first woman to climb to the moon will wear Prada

Prada is collaborating with Axiom Space and NASA to design one of the spacesuits that the first woman to set foot on the moon will wear on the Artemis III mission.

Scheduled for 2025, it is expected to be the first return to the moon since Apollo 17 left the satellite in 1972. A mission that will see the first woman in history, as well as the first black person to set foot on the moon. “We are delighted to collaborate with Prada on the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit,” said Michael Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space.

Suffredini confirms that they have chosen Prada for its “sewing expertise with different raw materials, sewing techniques and innovative design concepts”. A project that he believes “will guarantee not only the comfort of astronauts on the lunar surface, but also the necessary adaptations to the human physiognomy, which are absent in traditional space suits”.

Although the project is at a preliminary stage, teams from both companies have already been working together for a few weeks. Prada will bring its experience in demanding, high-level projects such as the America’s Cup sailing competition, where it has been producing suits since 1990 and is a sponsor. The Luna Rossa Prada team will wear Prada suits in the 2024 edition in Barcelona.

Prada and Axiom are aware of the importance of making a suit that is different from what has been seen in the past. Without revealing aesthetic details, Prada confirms that the colour of the suit will be conditioned by temperature tests. It will most likely be a white spacesuit “with some small elements of colour. This is an example of technical limitations on aesthetic choices,” says Bertelli.