back to article The Astronaut wore Prada – and a blast from Michael Bloomberg

Private sector space outfit Axiom and Italian fashion house Prada last week revealed the space suit that will be used on the Artemis III mission. Sorry, it's not a space suit. It's an "Extravehicular Mobility Unit" – because it works just as well for eight-hour spacewalks or a two-hour stroll in the ultra-frigid conditions …

  1. graeme leggett Silver badge

    The red stripe is so you can tell one astronaut from the other, isn't it?

    1. tiggity Silver badge

      @graeme leggett

      Maybe someone is a fan of Jamaican lager

      1. mostly average
        Pint

        BOO blank white spacesuit! Hooray BEER!

    2. Vulch

      Indeed. Took NASA a very long time to work out there were only a couple of photos of Neil Armstrong on the moon because the two suits were essentially identical. Later missions used the red stripe for the commander, Shuttle EVAs assigned the red stripe to one of the astronauts leaving the second one plain. On a few occasions there were three astronauts on EVA and the third wore a blue stripe on their suit.

      1. MachDiamond Silver badge

        " the third wore a blue stripe on their suit."

        With the different lighting conditions and visor coatings, it would make more sense to use two stripes rather than change color.

    3. Jellied Eel Silver badge

      The red stripe is so you can tell one astronaut from the other, isn't it?

      Nope. Everyone knows that red makes it go faster! Waaagh!

      1. Wally Dug
        FAIL

        Red Stripe/Shirt

        Isn't the one with the red shirt the first one to die in Star Trek when they leave the safety of the USS Enterprise?

      2. Evil Auditor Silver badge
        Thumb Up

        Indeed. And also its insurance premiums go through the roof. Or rather high into the big, black sky?

    4. T. F. M. Reader

      And I thought, naively, that the red stripe was Prada Linea Rossa reaching for the moon.

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Nah, the red stripe is so you can tell who player 2 is.

  2. Roj Blake Silver badge

    Patches

    The elbow patches make me wonder if Artemis III will see the first geography teacher on the moon.

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Re: Patches

      Only if they do a version of the suit in Harris tweed…

      1. Bebu
        Headmaster

        Re: Patches

        Elbow patches and Tweed.

        In our case he was a maths teachers who had been a navigator in WW2 bombers on missions over Germany. He use to regale his classes with tales of how they would navigate to their targets (giving the trigonometry used) and the early radar they were using.

        The thing that got us was his heritage was as German as you could get even by 1939 Reich standards and in all likelihood his family would have been interned here during the previous stoush. In hindsight his people might have been socialists or communists/marxists who weren't particularly welcome in the Kaiser's empire.

        1. Spherical Cow Silver badge

          Re: Patches

          I also knew a maths teacher who was a navigator in Lancasters in WWII, it must have been a common assignment. He was very tall though, and the navigator's table area was too cramped for him, so he switched role to bomb aimer because he could stretch out his long legs while lying down. He was shot down twice, the first time over Allied territory, the second time behind enemy lines so he spent the rest of the war in a POW camp.

    2. Evil Auditor Silver badge

      Re: Patches

      which has been designed to fit both males and females from the first to 99th percentile

      It's not elbow patches. It's a modernised version of the self-adjusting garment Marty McFly was sporting.

  3. Bebu
    Coat

    "designed to fit both males and females from the first to 99th percentile."

    ..., 3, 2, 1 - the non binary alphabet aren't going to like that. ;)

    If I were to spend 8 hours in one of these garments (with included* "life support systems...") I would like to know up front how a chap would siphon the python? (I leave it to the ladies to supply their own euphemism.)

    Techicolor Birdsong is never going to be pretty in a helmet - Prada or not. I guess the tinted visor is to spare the wearer's companions the nauseous spectacle.

    Looking at the photographs the suits do seem to have the design flare of the nation that gave the world Ferrari and Maserati. Prada though - can one wear heels in this suit, I wonder?

    * not as though oxygen is an optional extra like heated seats. Also not wildly keen or CO2 scrubbing.

    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      Re: Bathroom break

      The current solution involves NASA's maximum absorbency garment.

      1. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
        Holmes

        Re: Bathroom break

        https://www.theregister.com/2008/12/10/nowak_nappies_admitted_to_court/

    2. Jellied Eel Silver badge

      Re: "designed to fit both males and females from the first to 99th percentile."

      If I were to spend 8 hours in one of these garments (with included* "life support systems...") I would like to know up front how a chap would siphon the python? (I leave it to the ladies to supply their own euphemism.)

      I once considered a career change into commercial diving and did some training to use an ADS (Atmospheric Diving Suit) that had similar challenges. Which was also quite fascinating and over it's development included catheters, a kinda open-ended condom and then just adult diapers. In which I also learned that Prince Alberts for attaching to tubes was an urban myth. Plus handy advice, like don't eat curries because having to do a #2 means smells, which may lead to vomiting, which inside a helmet is.. bad.

      But guessing NASA has better diapers, and better ways of dealing with.. waste and cleanup. I think I'd want a suiting area with its own shower/cleaning facilities on a seperate filtered air supply to the rest of the station or moon base.

      1. Snake Silver badge
        Alert

        Color me intrigued

        "In which I also learned that Prince Alberts for attaching to tubes was an urban myth."

        As a male with the aforementioned...hardware addition...I've never heard of this before.

        Brits will think of almost anything :-P

        1. Spherical Cow Silver badge

          Re: Color me intrigued

          In the IT world a hardware addition is sometimes called a dongle. You have a dongle dongle.

    3. PiltdownMan

      Re: "designed to fit both males and females from the first to 99th percentile."

      I have heard tales of "Shaking the Lettuce" for the fairer sex!!!

    4. ravenviz Silver badge

      Re: "designed to fit both males and females from the first to 99th percentile."

      leave it to the ladies to supply their own euphemism

      “squeeze the lemon”

  4. may_i Silver badge

    Bloomberg

    I think the meddling billionaire should take his opinions and file them on the dark side of the moon.

    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      Re: Bloomberg

      Bloomberg said that Artemis should be replaced with robotic missions because SLS and Gateway are expensive. The entire point of Artemis is to be expensive and if congress cannot waste billions sending humans to the Moon then they will find a way to waste billions sending robots instead. The problem is congress and fixing that is more difficult than sending humans or robots to the Moon.

    2. A Non e-mouse Silver badge

      Re: Bloomberg

      In many ways, Bloomberg is right: Artemis is a colossal waste of money. With the cost plus contracts and politicians sticking their noses in all the time, there's no way to keep under control.

    3. Irongut Silver badge

      Re: Bloomberg

      I have no knowledge of Mr Bloomberg but in this case he is most definitely right. The Senate Lunch System is nothing more than a pork barrel that should not fly.

      1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

        Re: Bloomberg

        The Senate Lunch System is nothing more than a pork barrel that should not fly.

        There's a lot of that around. SpacX should have been on the Moon a couple of years ago, has a supposedly fixed cost contract that it's already spent, and Starship is nowhere close to being human rated or usuable.

        1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

          Re: Spending money that has not been paid

          Although NASA promised a 2024 Moon landing the only person expected to be gullible enough to believe it was the president. The current year for Artemis 3 is 2026 according to NASA and 2028 according to NASA's Inspector General. The contract for HLS only specifies no earlier than 2024. It is a fixed price contract based on milestones. Paydays only happen when NASA says SpaceX have achieved a milestone. Normally such contracts are loaded more heavily on the front to cover research and development. Congress did not want the Luna lander being ready before SLS/Orion so the only allocated half the required funds. SpaceX bid half the required amount with the other half coming from their own pocket*. They also kept the early payments low because they knew NASA did not have enough money. SpaceX have not yet received most of the money so the cannot have spent it. The contract is fixed price and will almost certainly remain that way as it did for Cargo Dragon and Crew Dragon. The simplest way to charge extra on a firm fixed price contract is to hire Boeing's outstanding lobbyists.

          Blue origin also have excellent lobbyists. They convinced congress to pay for a half a second Lunar lander. (Jeff Bezos is paying for the other half.)

          The meaning of "Human rated" depends on what is being human rated. Crew Dragon and Starliner are held to a higher standard than Orion. According to the contracts, Artemis HLS's do not have to demonstrate returning from the Moon before landing crew. This is because only Starship is capable of returning without a crew and NASA wanted bids from more than one supplier. SpaceX plan to have their uncrewed HLS to go back to NRHO from the Moon even though that extra step is not a milestone. Blue Origin plan to have astronauts unbolt bits of their lander so it is light enough to get back to NRHO.

          * Slightly cheating here: Starship HLS has large amount in common with the giant Starlink launcher and the Mars colony ship that SpaceX were doing anyway.

          1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

            Re: Spending money that has not been paid

            They convinced congress to pay for a half a second Lunar lander. (Jeff Bezos is paying for the other half.)

            Depending on what happens in a couple of weeks, SpacX may have a very well placed lobbyist..

            * Slightly cheating here: Starship HLS has large amount in common with the giant Starlink launcher and the Mars colony ship that SpaceX were doing anyway.

            Yep. I think it's a bit of a goal problem. Like funding to put boots on the Moon. Great, we've been there, done that. What I think we should be doing is being able to stay there.. So a lunar base that can produce stuff, and making Mars missions easier. Or a decent sized space station that can act as a transfer station. ThunderF00t has a video that covers this with specualtion about the number of launches needed to create the great gas station in the sky. But that's a long way off and is going to cost a lot of money. It would also be neat if we could manufacture fuel on the Moon and lob that back towards a transfer station.

            Meanwhile, China and India are doing their own thing, and Russia and other nations might join in. Seems like politics and short-sighted decision makers might result in the US (and by extension Europe) getting left behind.

            1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

              Re: well placed lobbyist

              I am not sure which of the pair would do more damage. Musk has just broken federal campaign finance law. The $10,000 fine is nothing to him but we can at least hope for 5 years in prison. They are not best friends. Perhaps the presidential pardon will cost real money.

              Any real progress towards a Lunar base will require hardware that makes SLS look even more blatantly useless. Congress will not tolerate anything of the kind until they have a new giga-project up and running to shovel dollars to their friends.

              The Moon has a crippling shortage of hydrogen and carbon. The fuel for a trip to Mars will come from Earth and be stored in LEO. I can see the value in Lunar LOX for shuffling tourists between NRHO and the Moon but getting it down to LEO will bump up the price close to LOX from Earth. We will need the hardware to stabilise and the real costs to become known before we can work out if Lunar LOX has any value for getting to Mars.

              1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

                Re: well placed lobbyist

                I am not sure which of the pair would do more damage. Musk has just broken federal campaign finance law.

                Allegedly..

                The Moon has a crippling shortage of hydrogen and carbon.

                But water has been detected at the north and south poles. Which needs exploration, then figuring out ways to extract and crack it because it'll need H2 and O2, and much the same with Mars. Plus I've read a few different proposals about where best to build a transfer station given the different energy costs. But much work ahead, along with politics if one nation or another decides to occupy and monopolise resource rich or critical locations. Plus I guess after much more exploration & planning, there may be practical vacuum engines like ion drive. Challenge with that seems to be trading fuel costs for flight time, which is problematic given radiation exposure.

                1. Groo The Wanderer

                  Re: well placed lobbyist

                  Allegedly? He's done it rather blatantly to the tune of a million a vote...

                2. MachDiamond Silver badge

                  Re: well placed lobbyist

                  "there may be practical vacuum engines like ion drive. Challenge with that seems to be trading fuel costs for flight time, which is problematic given radiation exposure."

                  Whatever technology is used for the engines, they will have to be supplied with energy in some form. Nuclear is far more dense than anything else, but development stopped a long time ago on space engines that use nuclear propulsion. Going past the moon with humans is going to take much more engineering than is going to happen in the next couple of decades that it's not worth trying to accommodate it in any plans yet. The biggest question is the humans holding up for those trips. Micro G is bad, but are the issues linear or is 1/6 G good enough to mitigate the majority of low G health problems? There's only one way to find out. Can we come up with active radiation shielding? Barrier shielding is too massive on space ships.

            2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

              Re: Spending money that has not been paid

              "Depending on what happens in a couple of weeks, SpacX may have a very well placed lobbyist.."

              Unless it's to his personal benefit, no I don't think he will. I suspect Musk will be left by the wayside, as Trump is wont to do with his "friends" when he no longer has a use for them.

            3. ydroneaud

              Re: Spending money that has not been paid

              I think the numbers were tabulated by Dustin from SmarterEveryDay youtube fame.

              https://youtu.be/OoJsPvmFixU?si=G42SIxC5FtjKMarC

          2. MachDiamond Silver badge

            Re: Spending money that has not been paid

            "They also kept the early payments low because they knew NASA did not have enough money. SpaceX have not yet received most of the money so the cannot have spent it. "

            SpaceX was specifically told what money was available after a NASA budget reduction while Blue and Dynetics were not. Of the nearly $3bn award for the first contract, SpaceX has received approximately $1.8bn according to government reports.

          3. MachDiamond Silver badge

            Re: Spending money that has not been paid

            "This is because only Starship is capable of returning without a crew and NASA wanted bids from more than one supplier. SpaceX plan to have their uncrewed HLS to go back to NRHO from the Moon even though that extra step is not a milestone. Blue Origin plan to have astronauts unbolt bits of their lander so it is light enough to get back to NRHO."

            What? The lander is not expected to return to Earth. It's to remain in lunar orbit, be replenished and used again and again. Blue is not planning to have parts unbolted.

            It would be more prudent to have a separate ascent stage as was done with Apollo so if there is undercarriage damage to the lander, it won't prevent the return of the astronauts from the surface. It would also be interesting to provide a new descent stage on following missions that also resupplies the ascent stage until there's a time when an improved landing site can be constructed that can support a craft that doesn't separate.

        2. Gene Cash Silver badge

          Re: Bloomberg

          > SpaceX should have been on the Moon a couple of years ago

          You do know how Musk Time Dilation works, right? It's almost as bad as the Jobs Reality Distortion Field.

          Remember when we were supposed to have Dragon capsules on Mars 5 years ago?

          They'll get there... eventually.

          1. Graham Dawson

            Re: Bloomberg

            The thing is, they will get there eventually. SpaceX is making steady and visible progress towards their stated goals; it's just not on a timescale compatible with anyone's political ambitions.

  5. Groo The Wanderer

    Hmm. Listen to the rich-bitch tech and media bro with all the tax loopholes and lawyers, or the scientists. Not a tough call - Mike, you'll have the right to complain when you actually pay taxes...

    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      Plenty of space enthusiasts and professionals have been saying SLS is over priced for years and no-one in congress has given a damn. Words from congress are for voters. Actions are for people who pay campaign contributions. Perhaps congress will listen this time (and carry on regardless).

    2. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

      The scientists? The ones who want funding for science missions rather than unnecessary human moon landings? Those scientists?

  6. Throatwarbler Mangrove Silver badge
    Devil

    In fairness

    I believe it was science fiction writer Jerry Pournelle who made this same argument decades ago. From the perspective of pure exploration, it's hard to argue the point: we can surely build automated robots which can explore the lunar surface more efficiently than and without the resource needs of humans. When it comes to building things in space, however, I wonder how long it will take to create robots which can construct orbital factories, docking stations, etc. Finally, of course, there's the issue of the human imagination: for most people, the idea of human astronauts is much more dramatically compelling than that of robots doing the work. One could also argue that, if we lose momentum now, the prospect of humans ever going to the moon again, much less beyond, becomes much more distant.

    1. Philo T Farnsworth Silver badge

      Re: In fairness

      I respectfully beg to differ on the "human imagination" count.

      I obviously only speak for myself, but the science and inspiration that has come from the sundry Mars rovers and landers far outweighs the putative inspiration provided by any astro/cosmo/taikonaut bouncing around on the moon or trundling around Mars.

      I'd far prefer the billions being sunk into flying humans to the moon be spent on Mars sample return to complete the mission of the Perserverance rover,

      If you want inspiration, just think about the Ingenuity copter. We, as a species, flew a helicopter on Mars! Not once but dozens of times. If that doesn't inspire. . . well what can I say.

    2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: In fairness

      "One could also argue that, if we lose momentum now, the prospect of humans ever going to the moon again, much less beyond, becomes much more distant."

      If by "we" you mean the USA, then yes, that's a likely outcome if they abandon human Moon missions. China seems to be planning something of their own though. Whether that's just because the USA currently have ambitions and they feel the need to demonstrate they are just as advanced or would still continue with a proposed Moon-base in the absence of a US initiative is another matter, I suppose a lot depends on if it all starts while Xi is still in power and what may happen after he's gone.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    lift and seperate

    A popular fact is that Neil Armstrong's suit was designed by Playtex, the bra manufacturer. I'm sure it gave him a lot of confidence and excited any nearby clangers. So there is precedence for fashion houses getting involved.

    I think Bloomberg is missing the point slightly. It's about things that cannot be measured in spreadsheets. Small and big children getting excited and thinking maybe they could walk on the moon one day. People being excited again about space and space exploration being cool enough to secure funding for pure science missions. It's impossible to list all the effects of the 1960s moon landings. I think the world would look very different today if they hadn't happened. OK it probably made the small percentage of "we're number 1!" US folk a bit more intolerable but it gave energy and excitement and the feeling of limitless possibilities that give civilisation a driving force. Yes robots are cheaper but they are also boring, I'm a geek so I do get excited about remote-control cars and helicopters on Mars but I think most people don't care. Put some people on Mars and it will be very different. Apart from the intangible good feelings and excitement, I expect the 1960s moon landings had a positive effect on the economy as well. So maybe it will end up paying for itself but in ways you can't prove causation.

    1. Gene Cash Silver badge

      Re: lift and seperate

      > I expect the 1960s moon landings had a positive effect on the economy as well

      Considering the Apollo Guidance Computer used 60% of the world's IC production for a couple years, it sure as hell jumpstarted that.

      We might have had ICs 10-15 years later but I have a feeling they would have been a bunch of different proprietary competing "standards" that would have seriously held things back.

      I remember when companies were PROUD to be part of Apollo. Look at the '60s era magazines and there were lots of ads saying "Joe's Widgets: Part of the Apollo Lunar Module"

      This country went from landing on the Moon to "This bag is not a toy!" and arguing about evolution in 40 years. I don't have much hope.

      1. Philo T Farnsworth Silver badge

        Re: lift and seperate

        You left out teflon and Tang.

        Regarding standards, there's this thing called MilSpec that probably had more influence in component standardization.

        In fact, I suspect the majority of advances are spinoffs from the miltary, not the Apollo program, including this here thing called the Internet.

    2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: lift and seperate

      "A popular fact is that Neil Armstrong's suit was designed by Playtex, the bra manufacturer."

      I heard a bra designer once said it was more of an engineering task than a fashion task. Something about support, stresses, cantilevers or some-such. IANAE(ngineer) :-)

  8. ydroneaud

    SpaceX IS a contractor in Artémis project

    "Starship may soon out-perform the hardware created for Artemis"

    SpaceX starship development is funded in part by NASA for the Artemis project. I would hope if Starship exceed its current goals it would be benefical to thé whole project. Unfortunately it's likely going in the other direction... NASA will have to deal with delay and short commings.

    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      Re: SpaceX IS a contractor in Artémis project

      Delays are a bonus. Congress will leap at the opportunity to spend even more on SLS.

  9. Howard Sway Silver badge

    the spacesuits mentioned above will cost $1 billion.

    That's just the premium you're paying for the designer label though. The Primark spacesuits will only cost $20 million.

    1. ravenviz Silver badge

      Re: the spacesuits mentioned above will cost $1 billion.

      As for “Lidl in the Middle” a snap at $599k (single use only).

  10. yetanotheraoc Silver badge

    And here it is being modelled.

    Equally suitable for catwalk and spacewalk. Could use some feathers, IMHO.

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: And here it is being modelled.

      Yeah, at first glance it doesn't really look all that different to the Apollo suits. I suppose function defines form in this case and apart for trim colours, there's not really a lot you can do visually. Primary function is to keep the wearer alive while minimising the overall mass, exactly what the Apollo suits had to do :-)

      Internally, of course, decades of materials science R&D along with advances in electronics and engineering technique probably mean the insides are vastly improved.

  11. TeeCee Gold badge

    Many years ago...

    ...I recall reading an article about mens high fashion in which it was stated that Prada was problematic because: "No man can wear Prada without looking gay".

    Looks like they've finally solved that one.

    1. Groo The Wanderer

      Re: Many years ago...

      Downvote for implying that looking "gay" is bad - what consenting adults do in their bedrooms is their own business and nobody else's unless someone is getting hurt.

      I don't care if someone is straight, gay, mono, bi, or even robo-plastic sexual at home. All I care about is whether they can do the job required.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Many years ago...

        Downvoted for implying that getting hurt in the bedroom is bad - don't knock it unless you've tried it.

  12. EricB123 Silver badge

    Imagine That in a High Street Window!

    I was getting excited of the fashion possibilities of that garment... until I got to the bottom of the article, when I saw the price. But maybe, just maybe, if we remove all the unnecessary life support junk, switch to a fast-fashion fabric... I guess we could eliminate the helmet as well.

    I'll be accepting investors any time now. Gotta think out of the box here!

  13. Hurn

    Inflation, anyone?

    Is the $1 billion for a single suit, or a set of suits?

    Using an inflation calculator, $1 billion dollars in 2024 = $123 million in 1970 dollars

    Doing a bit of searching on the internet, it appears a single Moon suit cost between $12 and $20 million, based on the year (inflation was a thing in the late 1960s - early 1970s).

    Assuming $1 billion is for a set of suits, say, somewhere between 2 and 6 (depending on number of missions), then, the price seems to be ballpark (well, at least "order of magnitude") with Apollo.

    Although, one wonders, with those arm sockets which seem to thrust the arms forward and up (which look similar to deep sea "hard suits" as well as artists' conception drawings of Mars suits), maybe Playtex had an influence in these, as well?

  14. jlturriff

    Looks so very comfortable [not]. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to endure eight hour sessions with my shoulders cranked out in front of my torso like that.

  15. RavenBlue

    Suits you Sir!

    The Axiom EMU Spacesuit testing is unlikely able to reach full certification by the deadline of 2026.

    SpaceX's EVA Suit has already been proven on the Polaris Dawn mission EVA. I wouldn't put it past Spacex to upgrade their EVA suit to an EMU suit in pretty short order.

    Funnily enough, current SpaceX and NASA IVA suits aren't compatible in connections, so if the shit hits the fan in NRHO orbit, either on Orion, Gateway or Starship, someone will be well and truly spaced.

    A bit like trying to plug into an airline armrest sound socket with your own headphones, but probably with more deadly consequences.

  16. RavenBlue

    Playtex?

    I remember the Playtex advertisements from the 1980's, being a fascinated early teenager for such ads.

    I think the byline went, "Whatever you do, wherever you are, Playtex has the bra for the way you are"

    2020's rebrand for LBGTQI+ Spacesuits:

    "Whatever you do, wherever you are, Axiom has the suit for the way you are"

    (batteries not included)

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