Who Will Wear The Prada Space Suit? Meet Astronaut Christina Koch
The 45-year-old American engineer is set to make history by becoming the first female to orbit the moon during NASA’s Artemis III 2026 mission
Fashion is reaching new (astronomical) heights as Prada’s new collaboration with Axiom Space was unveiled last week. The Italian fashion house will be creating a space suit for the Artemis III 2026 mission to the Lunar South Pole.
Announced during the International Astronautical Congress, organised by the International Astronautical Federation, the new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Uni functions as a highly innovative suit, designed to withstand the intense conditions of outter space. Beyond its visual aesthetics, the design boasts a uniquely high performance, durability and adaptability for the upcoming mission.
The next-generation space suit unveils Prada’s signature aesthetic of red stripes, establishing a strong element of creativity through the elaborate collaboration – although the design still features some classic elements of the suits worn by the Apollo astronauts over 50 years ago.
The white, outer layer of the Prada-designed protective garment is specifically engineered to reflect heat against the extreme temperatures of the Lunar South Pole. The Prada spacesuit has been meticulously curated and tested to ensure total protection when dealing with extremely harsh weather environments.
Who Will Wear The Prada Space Suit? Meet Astronaut Christina Koch
The historic Artemis III mission is expected to make giant leaps within the on-going exploration of space. The first female astronaut to not just wear the luxurious suit, but to walk on the moon’s surface will be 45-year-old Christina Hammock Koch.
Earlier this year, NASA named Christina to be the first woman to rocket to the moon, following her exceptional journey thus far as a renowned astronaut and engineer. She has been a NASA astronaut ever since 2013, taking part in an outstanding 6 spacewalks – including the first all-woman’s spacewalk back in 2019. The American engineer was awarded her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Physics, along with obtaining a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, whilst studying at North Carolina State University.
December 28, 2019, marked the special day where the highly-skilled engineer spent an impressive 328 days in space, breaking the world record for the longest single spaceflight. She has since been praised for her remarkable performances, being listed in Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
Christina will not be flying to the moon solo, beside her will be 3 more extraordinary astronauts – Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Roger Hansen, and NASA astronauts Victor J. Glover and Gregory Reid Wiseman. Both Prada and Axiom Space’s in-depth knowledge and expertise have enabled ground-breaking results, featuring high-performance materials and innovative technological features.
Lead image courtesy of Instagram/@prada
