US space exploration company Axiom Space and Italian luxury fashion brand Prada have unveiled a new suit that will help astronauts stay cool and breathe safely during future missions to the Moon.

Known as the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG), the technology is worn underneath Axiom Space's AxEMU spacesuit and is designed to support astronauts as they explore the lunar surface during NASA's Artemis IV mission.

The announcement marks the latest stage in a partnership between the US space company and Italian fashion house Prada, which first revealed the outer layer of the AxEMU spacesuit in 2024.

The LCVG sits closest to an astronaut's body and plays a critical role during spacewalks. As astronauts move around outside their spacecraft, their bodies generate significant heat. To manage this, the garment circulates cold water through a network of tubes positioned around major muscle groups. The heat is then transferred to the suit's life-support system and released into space.

The garment also helps astronauts breathe more comfortably. A separate ventilation system delivers oxygen across the astronaut's face, removing exhaled carbon dioxide before recirculating fresh oxygen through the spacesuit.

Unlike previous cooling garments, the new lunar spacesuit cooling garment includes a fully redundant cooling circuit. This means a backup system can take over if the primary cooling loop fails, providing an additional layer of safety during missions.

Prada contributed expertise in engineered knitting, advanced materials and garment design. The companies say the LCVG was developed using 3D modelling techniques that improve comfort while maintaining cooling and ventilation performance during spacewalks of up to eight hours. Prada also helped identify specialist fibres that can withstand repeated use on long-duration missions.

Dr Jonathan Cirtain, CEO and president of Axiom Space, says: "The future of space exploration will not be built by any one entity alone, and our partnership with Prada is proof of that. By bringing together the best in both aerospace engineering as well as luxury craftmanship and advanced product development, we have developed a garment that neither company could have created independently, and that is exactly the kind of cross-industry thinking that will define the next era of human spaceflight."

The collaboration expands on work completed for the AxEMU spacesuit's outer layer, which was designed to withstand the extreme temperatures and micrometeoroid impacts expected at the Moon's south pole. The latest project shifts attention from protecting astronauts from external conditions to supporting their physical wellbeing inside the suit itself.

Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group chief marketing officer and head of sustainability, says: "When we unveiled the AxEMU, we announced that the collaboration between Prada and Axiom Space would continue beyond that first milestone. 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."

Russell Ralston, senior vice-president of spacecraft development at Axiom Space, highlights the importance of the system during lunar operations. He says: "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. The work we have done with Prada has taken that capability to a level we could not have achieved alone."

As preparations continue for humanity's return to the Moon, the lunar spacesuit cooling garment demonstrates how expertise from industries beyond aerospace is increasingly shaping the future of space exploration.