Axiom Space and Italian fashion house Prada have partnered to develop next-generation extravehicular activity suits for spacewalks. The collaboration combines Axiom's spaceflight engineering expertise with Prada's advanced material science and design capabilities.
The partnership targets suits for use on Axiom's planned commercial space station modules and future lunar missions. Axiom has already secured contracts with NASA for station modules launching to the International Space Station beginning in 2026. The new suit design aims to improve mobility, reduce mass, and enhance thermal protection compared to current NASA extravehicular mobility units, which first flew during Apollo missions and have remained largely unchanged in fundamental design.
Prada brings experience developing high-performance textiles and materials for extreme environments. The fashion company has previously engineered advanced fabrics for mountaineering and aerospace applications. Axiom contributes operational knowledge from multiple spacewalks conducted by its crews and contracts with government space agencies.
The suits represent a significant shift in commercial spaceflight. As companies build private space stations and conduct lunar operations outside NASA's direct control, they need independent spacesuit capability rather than relying on government-supplied equipment. SpaceX has developed its own suit designs for Crew Dragon missions. Blue Origin and other commercial operators also pursue proprietary systems.
The Axiom-Prada suits must pass rigorous testing protocols before operational deployment. Requirements include pressure retention, mobility across shoulder and hip joints, thermal regulation across vacuum and direct sunlight, and protection against micrometeorite impacts. Each suit costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce, making durability and repairability critical economic factors.
The collaboration underscores how commercial space exploration now attracts industrial partners far beyond traditional aerospace suppliers. Fashion and luxury goods companies possess material science capabilities applicable to space systems. This cross-sector engagement accelerates innovation cycles and drives down costs for commercial operators pursuing independent space