Artemis III This will be a historic mission that will return humans to the surface of the Moon for the first time since 1972. POT so ambitious that it also includes SpaceXwhich is developing a lunar lander based on Starship, has already Axiom of Space as responsible for the spacesuits that the astronauts would use, which he developed in collaboration with Prada.
That’s right, Axiom Space and the famous Italian fashion brand have just offered the first full look at the new Artemis III spacesuit. This is the Axiom extravehicular mobility unit, or AxEMUthe creation of which is progressing at a good pace with an eye to a launch that will take place between the end of 2026 and the beginning of 2027.
An interesting alliance between Axiom Space and Prada to work on the Artemis III spacesuit was announced in October 2023. At the time, the aerospace specialist noted that the joint work with the Italian fashion house was aimed at leveraging the achievements of its engineering department, which was studying new materials and their application in the clothing sector.
“Prada’s expertise has enabled the use of advanced technology and innovative sewing techniques to bridge the gap between high-tech functionality and an aesthetically pleasing white outer shell, providing astronauts with greater levels of comfort while improving the performance of the materials used by astronauts,” the company said. developers of the Artemis III spacesuits.
For Matt Ondler, president of Axiom Space, working with Prada is a clear demonstration of what intersectoral cooperation can achieve. The company says the Italian brand has made a very valuable contribution to protecting astronauts from the harsh conditions of the Moon, while also providing an exterior design that is “visually inspiring” for the future of space exploration.
This is the Artemis III spacesuit from Axiom Space and Prada.
NASA has selected Axiom Space to develop the Artemis III spacesuits in 2022. In 2023, the company showed a prototype with a sort of black cover whose sole purpose was to prevent the visibility of its patented technologies. Prada was responsible for design and make the outer “skin” AxEMU, whose white color reflects heat and is designed to protect astronauts from the extreme temperatures of the Moon and lunar dust.
The most important thing that Axiom Space and Prada worked on was ensuring the stability of the Artemis III mission suit, but without compromising maneuverability and comfort. Its most noteworthy feature is that it adapts to all body types, regardless of size and whether they are male or female. It also comes with biometric monitoring, 4G LTE connectivity, integrated power system, life support equipment and custom gloves, among other features.
Axiom Space indicates that the Artemis III spacesuit modular and expandablewhich should allow it to be adapted to future missions both on the Moon and in low Earth orbit. In terms of usability, astronauts will be able to perform spacewalks of at least 8 hours or operate for up to 2 hours in the extreme cold of lunar regions near the poles where shadows are permanent.
While Axiom Space and Prada are already demonstrating the design and functionality of the spacesuits that will be used in Artemis III, there is still a lot of work to be done. The company has yet to complete underwater testing and final design verification. The last one will take place in 2025.
Let us remember that Artemis III was originally supposed to take place at the end of next year. However, NASA delayed it along with Artemis II to resolve technical problems on the Orion spacecraft. US Space Agency hopes to return to the Moon in September 2026although the US government believes this may not happen until 2027.
Source: Hiper Textual
