The next-generation Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit designed by Axiom Space in partnership with Prada for NASA's Artemis III mission — the first crewed Moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. Built on NASA's xEMU heritage with enhanced mobility, thermal protection and a 2-hour lunar shadow endurance rating.
The Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) is a next-generation spacesuit being developed by Axiom Space for NASA's Artemis III mission — the first crewed return to the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in December 1972. The suit is designed to enable astronauts to explore the harsh environment of the lunar south pole, including permanently shadowed regions where temperatures plunge below −230°C (−382°F).
The AxEMU evolves NASA's in-house Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) design, which the agency developed between 2007 and 2021 before pivoting to commercial procurement. Under the Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) contract awarded in June 2022, Axiom Space received up to $228.5 million to design, develop, certify and produce the suits.
In a landmark fashion-meets-engineering collaboration, Italian luxury house Prada joined as Axiom's design partner, contributing materials expertise, protective layer engineering and the suit's distinctive white-with-red-accents aesthetic. Oakley was announced as the visor partner in 2025, providing the helmet visor system that protects against solar glare and micrometeorite impact on the lunar surface.
Axiom Space aims to create not only a lunar suit but a platform that can be adapted for future commercial space station EVAs, deep-space missions and eventually Mars surface operations — making the AxEMU potentially the most versatile spacesuit design in history.