By BlueShift | 2026-06-19

US private company Axiom Space and Italian luxury fashion house Prada have expanded their partnership to produce the inner layer of the spacesuit that Artemis III astronauts will wear on upcoming missions.

The two companies unveiled the outer layer spacesuit, the next-generation Axiom extravehicular mobility unit (AxEMU), in 2024.

The AxEMU spacesuit replaces NASA's extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuit, which is still used on the International Space Station, and the Apollo A7L spacesuits that were retired in the 1970s.

It offers added flexibility, greater protection and specialized tools for exploration and research over legacy spacesuits, and is built to withstand the thermal extremes and micrometeoroid environment of the lunar South Pole.

The two companies unveiled the design for the inner layer, known as the liquid cooling and ventilation garment (LCVG), in June 7 announcements that highlighted their commitment to continued collaboration.

The LCVG is the layer worn closest to the astronaut's body, where thermal regulation, comfort and reliability are critical.

Both layers are undergoing testing, and NASA will evaluate whether they are ready for use on its upcoming Artemis missions, including the Artemis IV mission to the lunar South Pole.

In addition to enhancing astronaut comfort and safety, the Axiom Space-Prada partnership sets a new standard for cross-industry collaboration.

"The future of space exploration will not be built by any one entity alone, and our partnership with Prada is proof of that," said Axiom Space CEO and president Jonathan Cirtain.

"By bringing together the best in both aerospace engineering as well as luxury craftmanship and advanced product development, we have developed a garment that neither company could have created independently," he said.

"That is exactly the kind of cross-industry thinking that will define the next era of human spaceflight."

High-level design

Prada brought expertise in engineered knitting and innovative design concepts to the collaboration, as well as knowledge of high-performance materials.

This supported the identification and sourcing of specialized fibers that allow the garment to be worn repeatedly across long-duration missions.

Advanced 3D modeling techniques enabled the designers to create an inner layer that could maintain cooling and ventilation, enhancing comfort during spacewalks, when the astronauts' bodies generate significant metabolic heat.

Cold water is circulated through a network of tubes routed across major muscle groups, absorbing heat and carrying it away to the suit's portable life-support system to be expelled into space.

The spacesuit features a fully redundant cooling circuit, ensuring a backup system is available if the primary loop fails.

The garment also serves a ventilation function.

A separate loop of tubes delivers oxygen across an astronaut's face to wash away exhaled carbon dioxide. The gas then routes back through the life-support system's CO2 scrubber before recirculating oxygen.

"Every minute astronauts spend outside their vehicle, the LCVG is working to keep them safe," said Axiom Space senior vice president of spacecraft development Russell Ralston.

"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."

Cross-industry collaboration

Cross-industry collaboration has become increasingly common as the global space economy grows, with space-based manufacturing emerging as a new tool for industries ranging from materials science to pharmaceuticals.

In addition to its partnership with the Italian fashion house, Prada, Axiom Space is partnering with German multinational technology conglomerate Siemens to accelerate the design and manufacturing of commercial space infrastructure.

Other notable collaborations between terrestrial and space companies include a partnership between private US aerospace and robotics company Astrolab and Goodyear to design and test airless lunar tires.

They also include a collaboration announced May 13 between Varda Space Industries and pharmaceutical giant United Therapeutics Corporation.

Through their collaboration, Varda and United Therapeutics will explore the use of microgravity to develop improved formulations of treatments for rare pulmonary disease.

The move "brings United Therapeutics' expertise in drug development and formulation together with Varda's ability to develop designs and processes not available under terrestrial conditions," said Varda's Adrian Radocea.

"We're focused on delivering differentiated formulations and building the foundation of a new generation of manufacturing," he said.