When NASA astronauts set foot on the Moon for the historic Artemis missions, they will be wearing a piece of haute couture hidden beneath their heavy spacesuits. In a stunning fusion of luxury fashion and cutting-edge aerospace engineering, Axiom Space has teamed up with legendary Italian fashion house Prada to design the world’s most sophisticated underwear. While a partnership between the runway and outer space might sound like a mere publicity stunt, this sleek, form-fitting layer is actually a vital, life-saving piece of machinery packed with hidden tech.
The high-tech innerwear powering NASA’s next moonwalks
On June 7, Axiom Space and Prada introduced the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG) — a high-performance inner layer designed to be worn beneath the previously unveiled Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit. Far from a fashion statement, this garment is built for survival, engineered to protect astronauts as they return to the Moon for the first time in over five decades.
To pull this off, the design team relied heavily on Prada’s expertise in engineered knitting and avant-garde design. Utilizing cutting-edge 3D modeling techniques, they created a next-generation garment that maximizes cooling and airflow without sacrificing comfort during grueling eight-hour spacewalks. Furthermore, Prada’s deep understanding of high-performance textiles proved crucial in sourcing specialized, durable fibers that can be worn repeatedly over long-duration missions.
“The future of space exploration will not be built by any one entity alone, and our partnership with Prada is proof of that,” said Dr. Jonathan Cirtain, Axiom Space CEO and President. “By bringing together the best in both aerospace engineering as well as luxury craftsmanship and advanced product development, we have developed a garment that neither company could have created independently, and that is exactly the kind of cross-industry thinking that will define the next era of human spaceflight.”
The ultimate AC unit (with a built-in backup)
When astronauts are hard at work on the lunar surface, their bodies generate a massive amount of metabolic heat. To prevent overheating, the LCVG acts like a personal, wearable air conditioner. It circulates chilled water through an intricate network of tubes woven across the body’s major muscle groups, absorbing body heat and routing it away to the suit’s portable life-support system to be expelled into space.
But what truly sets this next-gen suit apart from legacy NASA gear is its commitment to safety: the Axiom Space LCVG features a fully redundant cooling circuit. If the primary cooling loop ever fails, a backup system immediately takes over.
Breathing easy in a hostile world
When humanity officially returns to the Moon during NASA’s Artemis IV mission, this garment will be one of the final defense layers separating astronauts from the vacuum of space. Beyond temperature control, the suit also pulls double duty as a vital breathing apparatus. A dedicated loop of tubes delivers fresh oxygen directly across the astronaut’s face to continuously wash away exhaled carbon dioxide, routing the gas back into the life-support system’s CO2 scrubber before recirculating clean air.
“Every minute astronauts spend outside their vehicle, the LCVG is working to keep them safe,” said Russell Ralston, Axiom Space Senior Vice President of Spacecraft Development. “It manages their thermal environment, supports their breathing, and does it all while they’re pushing their bodies to the limit. The work we have done with Prada has taken that capability to a level we could not have achieved alone.”
Redefining the space suit, inside and out
This isn’t the first time the two companies have joined forces. Back in 2024, Axiom Space and Prada debuted the abovementioned AxEMU’s outer layer — a protective shell tailored to withstand the extreme temperatures of the lunar South Pole. Expanding the partnership to the LCVG was the next logical step, moving from the hard exterior armor straight to the skin-tight layer where thermal regulation and raw comfort are most critical.
While the sporty outer suit boasts a high-tech helmet, a radiation-blocking visor, and custom boots, Prada’s distinct aesthetic subtly shines through. The fashion house’s signature Linea Rossa red stripe pops up across the suit and is mirrored on the LCVG underlayer. This partnership proves that ultimate survival gear doesn’t have to sacrifice style, or vice versa.
When will Prada’s spacewear hit the lunar runway?
The countdown is officially on for early 2028, the target launch window for NASA’s monumental Artemis IV mission. A team of four astronauts will strap into the Orion spacecraft for a high-stakes, week-long expedition to the Moon’s rugged South Pole. This historic voyage will serve as the ultimate proving ground for Axiom Space and Prada’s groundbreaking collaboration. When humanity makes its triumphant return to the lunar surface, they won’t just be expanding the boundaries of science — they’ll be doing it in the most technologically advanced, high-fashion gear ever engineered.
Source:
Axion Space