Performance is the paramount design priority, but the release says that Prada has also contributed to shaping the look of what seems set to become one of the planet’s most recognisable outfits. It states that the Axiom engineers consulted the Italian fashion specialists on how to produce a suit that would “visually inspire future space exploration”. It added: “Prada’s expertise enabled advanced technologies and innovative sewing methods to bridge the gap between highly engineered functionality and an aesthetically appealing white outer layer.”
This expansion of the Pradasphere, beyond our atmosphere, is just one small step in the overall Artemis project. Together with private-sector partners such as Axiom, Prada and SpaceX — which has developed the Human Landing System (HLS) due to take Artemis III’s pair of moonwalkers to and from its orbit — Nasa is using Artemis to establish transport technology and protocols that can enable future generations to explore deep space, and even to visit Mars.
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Photo: Courtesy of Prada
Bertelli too is thinking about long-term objectives. He said: “We have proposed to Axiom new weaving processes with high-performance yarns or near-seamless production that could become interesting future solutions for the spacesuits team to consider.”
The astronauts selected to crew the upcoming mission have yet to be announced, however Nasa has already stated that: “For the benefit of all humanity, Nasa and its partners will land the first woman and first person of colour on the surface of the moon with Artemis.” As and when that historical landing is achieved, they will become the first to walk on the moon’s surface since Gene Cernan in December 1972. A total of 12 astronauts have landed on the moon, all of them in a slim window between the first 1969 landing by Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong and that final Apollo 17 mission three and a half years later.
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