On June 7, 2026, Axiom Space and Italian fashion house Prada announced the unveiling of the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment, a highly specialized component designed for the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit spacesuit.
A Milestone in Commercial-Civil Partnerships for Space Exploration
Engineered as the critical high-performance inner layer, this garment is specifically built to protect astronauts as they return to explore the lunar surface for the first time in over fifty years. This technological milestone represents a significant advancement in commercial-civil partnerships and highlights the critical infrastructure required for deep space human exploration.
Engineering the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment
The collaboration on the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment draws deeply on Prada’s extensive expertise in engineered knitting, innovative design concepts, and advanced product development. By utilizing advanced three-dimensional modeling techniques, the teams successfully designed a next-generation garment that maintains optimal cooling and ventilation while significantly enhancing astronaut comfort during spacewalks that can last up to eight hours. Prada’s deep knowledge of high-performance materials proved instrumental in identifying and sourcing specialized fibers that enable the garment to be worn repeatedly across the duration of long-term lunar missions.
Deepening their partnership to develop the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment was a logical progression following their previous work on the suit’s outer layer. The transition from the outermost protective shell to the layer worn closest to the astronaut’s body required a relentless focus on thermal regulation, comfort, and absolute reliability.
Dr. Jonathan Cirtain, the Chief Executive Officer and President of Axiom Space, stated that the future of space exploration requires cross-industry thinking. By merging the best in aerospace engineering with luxury craftsmanship, the two companies have developed a garment that neither could have successfully created independently.
Supporting a Sustained Lunar Economy
The development of advanced spacesuit components directly supports the establishment of foundational infrastructure for a sustained lunar economy. The Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit is designed to provide increased flexibility, performance, and safety for a wide range of crewmembers. The spacesuit will withstand extreme temperatures at the lunar south pole and endure the absolute coldest temperatures found in permanently shadowed regions. Astronauts will rely on multiple redundant systems, an onboard diagnostic system, a regenerable carbon dioxide scrubbing system, and robust cooling technologies to remove heat and ensure their safety.
This announcement perfectly aligns with the broader aerospace trend of building robust cislunar capabilities to support future lunar operations. As the industry shifts toward establishing permanent outposts on the lunar surface, the integration of non-traditional partnerships, such as the one between Axiom Space and Prada, exemplifies the commercial space sector’s ability to leverage specialized products and services to drive innovation.
The Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit architecture, which includes advanced life support systems, pressure garments, and avionics, is critical to meeting exploration needs and expanding scientific opportunities on the Moon and beyond.
Rigorous Testing and Orbital Validation
Axiom Space has iteratively improved this next-generation spacesuit over several years through extensive testing and rigorous simulations. Engineers have conducted tests with a wide range of astronauts at state-of-the-art facilities operated by Axiom Space, SpaceX, and NASA. Crucial underwater testing was conducted at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory to simulate the lunar environment, alongside reduced gravity simulations at the Johnson Space Center. These tests are vital for ensuring that the newly unveiled Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment functions flawlessly within the broader spacesuit architecture during complex extravehicular activities.
The Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit is not just intended for the lunar surface. The architecture is designed to be evolvable, scalable, and adaptable for missions in low Earth orbit, including activities aboard Axiom’s planned commercial space station. By ensuring the spacesuit and its internal layers can operate effectively across multiple environments, Axiom Space is building a versatile platform that will support both government and commercial private astronauts in the coming decades.
Axiom Space and Prada Discuss Their Spacesuit Design at IAC 2024
This video provides an excellent behind-the-scenes look at how Axiom Space and Prada originally collaborated on the AxEMU spacesuit design, offering valuable context for their continued partnership on the newly unveiled inner layer.
