The following article originally appeared in WIRED Italia and has been translated from Italian.
At the International Astronautical Congress 2024 in Milan, Italy, Lorenzo Bertelli, the chief marketing officer of Prada, highlighted the beginning of a new era, likening the current state of space access to the internet in the 1980s. Bertelli emphasized that while space is currently accessible to only a few, in the coming years, costs are expected to decrease, allowing more people to participate in such adventures.
Bertelli’s enthusiasm was tied to the unveiling of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), a spacesuit designed in collaboration with Houston-based startup Axiom Space. This partnership with Prada will contribute to NASA’s Artemis 3 mission to the moon, scheduled for 2026. Prada’s expertise in advanced stitching techniques has reportedly enhanced the comfort and performance of the suit for astronauts.
Bertelli noted that the collaboration is not primarily driven by commercial or marketing concerns. Instead, he stated that the partnership aims to push past current limits, which aligns with Prada’s core values. The AxEMU represents the initial phase of the collaboration with Axiom Space.
The AxEMU is an evolution of NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU), the suit previously used for activities outside the International Space Station. The new suit is designed to offer improved flexibility, efficiency, and safety, and includes specialized tools for exploring the lunar south pole. This region poses challenges with its extreme temperatures and fine regolith, which adheres to surfaces and infiltrates crevices.
The AxEMU is capable of withstanding the severe conditions of the lunar south pole and the permanently shaded regions for at least two hours. Additionally, it can support at least eight hours of extravehicular activities.
