Why NASA's next Moon astronauts could wear technology developed with Prada

As NASA prepares to send astronauts back to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era, one of the biggest challenges is not just getting there but ensuring crews can work safely in an environment marked by extreme temperatures and demanding physical conditions.

To address that challenge, Axiom Space has unveiled a new cooling and ventilation garment developed in collaboration with Italian fashion house Prada. The garment is intended to be worn beneath the AxEMU lunar spacesuit, which is being designed for future Artemis missions.

Known as the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG), the close-fitting layer helps regulate body temperature during lunar surface operations. Astronauts generate significant amounts of heat while moving, conducting experiments and carrying out spacewalks. Without an effective cooling system, that heat can quickly become a safety concern.

The garment uses a network of tubes that circulate cooled water around the body, drawing heat away from major muscle groups. The heat is then transferred to the spacesuit's life-support system and expelled into space. The system also helps circulate oxygen and remove exhaled carbon dioxide, improving comfort during extended periods inside the suit.

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From luxury fashion to lunar exploration

While Prada is best known for its runway collections and luxury accessories, the company has increasingly expanded its expertise into high-performance materials and technical manufacturing. Those capabilities were brought into the partnership with Axiom Space, which is developing the next generation of lunar spacesuits under a NASA contract.

The garment was developed using advanced 3D modelling techniques and designed for repeated use during long-duration missions.

The cooling layer will be worn underneath Axiom Space's Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or AxEMU. The suit is designed to provide greater mobility than those used during the Apollo missions and is expected to withstand hazards such as lunar dust, temperature fluctuations and prolonged exposure to the lunar environment.

Axiom Space chief executive Jonathan Cirtain said the project demonstrates the value of bringing together expertise from different industries. He described the garment as a product that neither company could have developed independently.

NASA's Artemis programme aims to establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon, with future missions expected to explore the lunar south pole. While mission schedules remain subject to change, technologies such as the AxEMU suit and its cooling garment are expected to play a key role in enabling astronauts to spend longer periods working on the lunar surface.