Prada-designed cooling garment set for astronauts on NASA’s moon missions

Luxury fashion house Prada and space exploration firm Axiom Space have unveiled a Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG) designed for astronauts who will explore the lunar surface during future NASA Artemis missions, as per a statement by Axiom.

The space exploration firm said that LCVG will be worn inside Axiom Space's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit and is engineered to protect astronauts from extreme conditions during lunar spacewalks, which can last up to eight hours.

According to Axiom Space, the garment serves as a critical inner layer of the spacesuit, helping regulate body temperature and supporting breathing functions while astronauts work in the harsh environment of space.

“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, CEO and president of Axiom Space.

The collaboration combines Axiom Space’s aerospace engineering expertise with Prada’s experience in advanced materials, engineered knitting and product design.

The garment was developed using sophisticated 3D modelling techniques aimed at improving cooling efficiency, ventilation and wearer comfort.

According to Axiom, as astronauts perform spacewalks, the LCVG circulates cold water through a network of tubes positioned across major muscle groups to absorb body heat. The heat is then transferred to the spacesuit's portable life-support system and expelled into space.

The new garment features a fully redundant cooling circuit, ensuring backup cooling capability in case the primary system fails.

In addition to thermal regulation, the LCVG delivers fresh oxygen across an astronaut's face to remove exhaled carbon dioxide. The gas is then processed through the suit's life-support system before oxygen is recirculated.

The latest announcement expands a partnership that began with the development of the AxEMU spacesuit’s outer layer, unveiled in 2024.

Prada contributed to the suit's exterior design, helping create protection against extreme temperatures and micrometeoroid impacts expected near the Moon's South Pole.

Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Sustainability, said the new milestone demonstrates the benefits of combining aerospace innovation with advanced fashion and material design expertise.

The LCVG is expected to play a crucial role when astronauts return to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis programme, providing thermal control, ventilation and enhanced comfort during future lunar missions.