Haute couture in space Nasa astronauts wear space suits by Prada
The astronauts on the first manned Nasa mission to the south pole of the moon will wear space suits by Prada. The Italian fashion house presented them in Milan on Wednesday.
16.10.2024, 21:20
16.10.2024, 21:29
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- In September 2026, the NASA mission "Artemis 3" will search for water craters at the south pole of the moon.
- The region is one of the coldest places in the universe.
- The Italian fashion house Prada and the US space company Axiom Space have designed a space suit for this purpose that involves "extreme engineering".
- The suit not only has to insulate against extreme temperatures, but also protect astronauts from radiation and external pressure.
Not only the devil wears Prada - but also the astronauts on the first manned NASA mission to the south pole of the moon. Together with the US space company Axiom Space, the Italian fashion house designed the space suit for the participants of the "Artemis 3" mission planned for September 2026. The model was presented in Milan on Wednesday.
The development of the suits required "extreme engineering" and "fantastic manufacturing capabilities", said Axiom Space CEO Matt Ondler. The suits would be used "in places that are incredibly dangerous, in extreme environments", he emphasized.
The outermost layer of the suit is white - just like the suits worn by the astronauts on the first manned moon landing, Apollo 11, around 50 years ago. On the sleeves and in other places, the suit features Prada's typical red stripes.
One of the missions of the US space agency NASA is to search for water craters at the lunar pole. The region is one of the coldest places in the universe, "so the suit has to be very cleverly designed".
A unisex suit for minus 200 degrees and high radiation
According to NASA, temperatures at the south pole of the moon can be as low as minus 203 degrees Celsius. However, the suit for the moon walk must not only insulate against extreme temperatures, but also protect the astronauts from radiation and external pressure, as well as being comfortable. It must also provide sufficient oxygen for moonwalks lasting up to eight hours.
As part of the planned mission, a woman will also be traveling to the moon for the first time - which means that the suits must be unisex and adapt to different sizes. "We have combined engineering, science and art to create the ultimate garments for future moonwalkers and to ensure that astronauts can perform their tasks and missions safely and comfortably," said Russell Ralston, the Axiom spacesuit program manager.
With its "Artemis 3" mission, NASA wants to put US astronauts back on the moon for the first time in more than half a century. The mission was initially planned for the end of 2025, but was postponed by a year for safety reasons.
