Gallery: Prada’s new Artemis IV garment makes sure NASA astronauts are cool, literally
Axiom Space and Prada unveiled the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG) designed to be worn by astronauts inside the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit. Credit: Axiom Space and Prada.
A key to fashion is knowing how to layer. If someone is going to wear a Prada spacesuit when strolling around the moon, it’s only natural to want the layer underneath to make sure they stay cool, in more ways than one.
Big picture view:
In 2024, Prada and its partner Axiom Space showed off the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit spacesuit that will keep NASA astronauts safe when they return to the moon. Now, on Sunday, the companies returned to offer a glimpse of the layer that will be worn underneath it.
While the spacesuit is designed to protect astronauts from the cold and micrometeoroids on the moon, the newly unveiled layer is meant to make sure they are comfortable and cool.
What they're saying:
"Today, we are proud to present a new achievement born from the unique combination of Axiom Space’s pioneering expertise and Prada’s know-how in design, patternmaking, and advanced materials, ahead of humanity’s return to the lunar surface," said Lorenzo Bertelli, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Sustainability at Prada Group.
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Dig deeper:
In its statement, Houston-based Axiom Space explained how the body produces a lot of metabolic heat, and how the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG) suit circulates cold water through tubes to major muscle groups to absorb it. There’s even a backup system, in case that first one fails.
Additionally, a separate system provides a fresh supply of oxygen to the astronaut, which also sweeps the exhaled carbon dioxide to a scrubber system.
The Liquid Cooling & Ventilation Garment regulates an astronaut’s body heat during spacewalks. It’s a full body garment worn underneath the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU). The LCVG circulates cold water through a network of tubes rout
What they're saying:
"Every minute astronauts spend outside their vehicle, the LCVG is working to keep them safe. It manages their thermal environment, supports their breathing, and does it all while they're pushing their bodies to the limit," said Russell Ralston, Senior Vice President of Spacecraft Development for Axiom Space.
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The backstory:
The suits are designed to be worn during NASA’s Artemis IV lunar mission, which promises to send astronauts to the moon in 2028 for the first time since the Apollo 17 landing in 1972.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from Axiom Space, FOX News, and Reuters. This story was reported from Orlando.