Hi everybody, welcome back to the show. This is where we talk about everything that merges technology, entrepreneurship, space and the final frontier. And in today's episode, we're going to explore a fascinating collaboration between fashion and space exploration. Prada, the Italian luxury fashion house, has teamed up with Axiom Space to design lunar space suits for NASA's upcoming
Artemis 3 mission. This mission aims to send humans to the moon in 2025 aboard a SpaceX Starship rocket, and this will include the first woman to walk on the lunar surface. Now it seems fashion and space exploration have found common ground. Prada recently announced their partnership with Axiom Space to design spacesuits for NASA's Artemis missions. Now this is going to happen in 2025 and the mission is historic in many ways.
Not only does it mark humanity's return to the moon after more than 50 years, but it also includes plans for new people to step on the moon, including the first woman. Now, Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada's group Marketing director, spoke enthusiastically about the collaboration and according to Bertelli, the ethos of Prada aligned seamlessly with the adventurous spirit required to venture into new realms like
space exploration. Now the company intends to leverage its decades long experience and experimentation, cutting edge technology, fabrics and design expertise for this project. Axiom Space, for their part, has been vested with the responsibility of developing space infrastructure from NASA's Artemis 3 mission, and in a statement, Axiom CEO Michael sufred, me plotted Pradas prowess with raw materials and manufacturing techniques as key to creating a comfortable yet functional spacesuit.
Now As for the spacesuits themselves, specifics are still under wraps, but indications are there that Prada will build upon a prototype previously released by Axiom. Last year, Axiom secured a $228 million contract to design these suits as part of a larger $1.3 billion package focused on the 2025 mission. Now these aren't just any spacesuits, they come equipped with joints designed to offer more flexibility than those worn during the Apollo missions.
The suits are also expected to feature built in HD cameras, allowing a real time connection back to Earth. The overall aim is to offer astronauts an enhanced ability to explore the lunar surface and conduct scientific experimentation. Now, this isn't the first time a company traditionally focused on fashion has ventured into
spacesuit design, though. If you look back to the Apollo 11 mission, you'll find that International Latex Corporation, more famous for designing Playtex bras and girdles, was tasked with creating the suits for Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Now these suits were complex and very expensive, comprising 21 layers of various materials like synthetics, neoprene rubber, and metalized polyester films, and they cost a staggering $100,000 each.
At that time, Neil Armstrong himself no to the effectiveness and reliability of the suit he wore. In a letter to NASA, Armstrong highlighted not just the suits photogenic qualities, but its ability to function flawlessly in the harsh conditions of space. Prada's history with design and technology is more nuanced than
one might initially consider. The company's involvement in sailing through the Luna Rasa Challenge for the America's Cup has given them unique insights into material science and high stress engineering. As Lorenzo Botelli, Prada's group's marketing director, highlighted, they're going to transfer that wealth of knowledge to the development of these lunar suits. It's an incredible leap from sea to space, but one that Prada is uniquely positioned to make.
And on the flip side, NASA has been pushing the envelope and human space exploration since its inception, and though it's Artemis 3 mission is monumental planning to send the first woman in person of color to the moon, the agency recognizes that suits are critical technology. They've got a history, too, of legacy, of working with unexpected partners. So NASA teaming up with a high fashion brand like Prada isn't as farfeshed as it seems. Axiom Space is the glue that
binds these two Titans together. Founded in 2016, the company is in the business of making space accessible not just for astronauts but also to private citizens. And Axiom has its own plans beyond NASA's missions to build a commercial space station. And the suits develop in collaboration with Prada, will find their use not only on the moon but also in future space walks from Axiom's own orbiting
platform. It's a multifaceted partnership 1 where each player brings something irreplaceable to the table. So what's next in this high stakes, high fashion space venture? Axiom Space is not just stopping at designing suits in the US for
NASA. The company is also planning to launch the first segment of its commercial space station in 2026. Now, this move could eventually see the Prada design suits adapted to this new commercial space station for commercial space walks for regular people, pedestrians like you and me. It's clear that the partnership between these two is more than just the static, it's also pushing the boundaries of what's possible between fabrics and fashion and space exploration. And it unites seemingly
disparate worlds. Prada and Axiom are charting course for the future, one that promises to be as stylish as it is ambitious. Now, thank you so much for joining us today on the show. If you found this episode valuable, don't forget to hit the subscribe or follow button on whatever platform you're listening on. It's completely free, takes just a second, and helps us out tremendously. Now remember, each episode, it's designed to be about 10 minutes or under to get you caught up
quickly. And until next time, take care of yourselves and each other and I'll see you in the next one.