Prada Unveils Liquid Cooling Garment for NASA Astronauts in Collaboration with Axiom Space

Prada unveiled an inner-layer garment for NASA astronauts on Sunday at its Manhattan store. The body-hugging suit, developed with Houston-based Axiom Space, features ventilation tubes knitted into the fabric and is called the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment.

Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada’s chief marketing officer, said at the event, “We have really a broad spectrum of capability and know-how,” while seated beside a mannequin wearing the new garment.

Russell Ralson, Axiom Space senior vice president, also attended the unveiling. The new garment follows Prada’s 2024 spacesuit, which is expected to be used for NASA’s Artemis 3 Earth orbit mission set to launch in 2027 and the anticipated Artemis 4 moon landing in 2028.

The company’s entry into functional space apparel marks a shift from earlier luxury-brand interest that had been limited to design inspiration.

New York Post reported that Prada’s move occurs against a backdrop of a struggling luxury goods sector. After two years of contraction, the industry showed signs of stabilization until the Iran war began at the end of February, disrupting travel and reducing luxury spending beyond the Middle East. Other apparel companies have also entered the space sector.

Under Armour has partnered with Virgin Galactic to create space apparel, while Columbia Sportswear has worked with Intuitive Machines on space fabric technology. Thomai Serdari, a luxury brand strategist and marketing professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, said Prada has moved “beyond inspiration into an actual partnership” to reach affluent consumers considering space travel and to align the brand with avant-garde ideas.