Prada and Axiom Space unveil technical base layer for NASA’s Artemis IV mission
The newly revealed garment circulates cold water through embedded tubes and includes a redundant ventilation system to ensure crew safety beneath the AxEMU spacesuit.
Axiom Space and Prada have jointly unveiled the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG), a critical base layer that NASA astronauts will wear beneath their spacesuits during the Artemis IV mission. Scheduled for launch in 2028, the mission marks the return of humans to the Moon, with this garment serving as the primary interface for thermal regulation and life support within the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU).
The LCVG functions by circulating cold water through a network of tubes embedded directly into the fabric. This mechanism is designed to whisk heat away from the astronauts’ bodies, maintaining comfort and operational capability during extravehicular activities. The design addresses the extreme thermal variations encountered on the lunar surface, ensuring that crew members remain within safe physiological parameters while conducting spacewalks.
Beyond thermal control, the garment integrates a sophisticated ventilation system. It supplies fresh oxygen to the AxEMU helmet and directs exhaled carbon dioxide to a scrubber for recirculation. This dual function of cooling and air management is essential for sustaining astronaut health during extended periods outside the spacecraft.
A key differentiator of this iteration is the inclusion of a backup cooling mechanism. Unlike older cooling suits, the LCVG features a secondary system to activate should the primary cooling loop fail. This redundancy is a significant safety enhancement, providing a fail-safe for crew members operating in the isolated and hazardous environment of deep space.
This collaboration represents the latest in a series of partnerships between NASA and high-design entities. The agency previously funded the BioSuit concept, which involved MIT professor Dava Newman and architect Guillermo Trotti, blending advanced materials with design principles. The current partnership with Prada and Axiom Space continues this trajectory, merging technical engineering with precision manufacturing to support the logistical demands of the Artemis programme.
