What the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment Does
The Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG) is a form‑fitting inner spacesuit layer that circulates water and air next to the skin to control body temperature and breathing gases so astronauts can work safely for hours in harsh lunar conditions. Developed by Prada and Axiom Space for NASA’s Artemis program, it sits closest to the body inside the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) worn during moonwalks. Astronauts step into this flexible gray layer first, before adding the protective outer suit. Beneath its sleek appearance lies a dense network of transparent tubes and textile channels that move cold water over major muscles and route oxygen and carbon dioxide to the backpack life‑support system. In effect, the LCVG works as an invisible “safety suit,” stabilizing the astronaut’s internal environment during spacewalks that can stretch to eight hours on the lunar surface.
Fashion Craft Meets Aerospace Constraints
The Prada spacesuit design contribution focuses on the garment closest to the astronaut, where clothing expertise matters most. Prada brought decades of work in high‑end textiles, engineered knitting, and precision garment manufacturing to create a single, continuous LCVG with minimal seams. According to Axiom CEO Jonathan Cirtain, “By bringing together the best in both aerospace engineering as well as luxury craftsmanship and advanced product development, we have developed a garment that neither company could have created independently.” Advanced 3D modeling helped map tube paths and fabric tension so the suit stays snug while allowing a wide range of motion. Axiom Space contributed the AxEMU life‑support architecture and mission requirements, while Prada optimized fit, flexibility, and wearability. The result is a streamlined silhouette with clear tubing tracing the torso, arms, and legs and a subtle red stripe that nods to Prada’s activewear heritage without compromising performance.
How Water Cooling Protects Artemis Astronauts
During a NASA Artemis moon mission, astronauts in bulky life‑support systems still generate heat every time they walk, lift tools, or collect samples. On Earth, sweat and moving air remove that heat; in a spacesuit on the Moon, those mechanisms barely work. The LCVG solves this with a circulating water network running across major muscle groups. Cold water absorbs heat from the astronaut’s body as it flows through the tubes, then carries that heat to the portable life support system (PLSS) in the backpack, where it is released into space. Engineering this network is demanding: tubing must touch enough surface area to keep temperatures stable without restricting movement or adding pressure points. To guard against failure, the AxEMU LCVG includes a second, fully independent cooling loop. If the primary loop shuts down, the backup takes over automatically so temperature control is not interrupted mid‑spacewalk.
Ventilation: Managing Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide
Cooling is only half of the astronaut cooling technology story; breathing inside a sealed helmet is just as critical. Every exhale adds carbon dioxide that must be removed quickly to avoid pockets of CO₂ forming near the mouth and nose. The Axiom Space spacesuit uses the LCVG as part of a dedicated ventilation loop that operates separately from the water cooling circuit. Fresh oxygen flows from the PLSS through channels that flush across the astronaut’s face, while exhaled air is swept away and routed back to the backpack. There, chemical scrubbers filter out carbon dioxide and the cleaned oxygen is recirculated. The continuous airflow keeps gas levels in a safe range even as work intensity changes. This design lets Artemis moonwalkers focus on navigation, sampling, and science, rather than worrying about fogging visors or breathing discomfort inside the helmet.
Why the AxEMU LCVG Matters for Artemis IV
The Prada‑designed Liquid Cooling Ventilation Garment will be a core part of the AxEMU spacesuit worn during NASA’s Artemis IV mission, planned to return humans to the Moon’s surface in 2028. Spacewalks on that mission may last up to eight hours, demanding stable temperature control, reliable oxygen flow, and uninterrupted carbon‑dioxide removal. Prada and Axiom Space designed the LCVG to meet these needs while preserving mobility for more ambitious surface science than past missions. Advanced knitting and body‑mapped tube layouts reduce bulk, helping astronauts bend, twist, and kneel over instruments and sample sites. At the same time, redundant cooling circuits and independent ventilation loops reflect a broader Artemis design philosophy: no single point of failure should threaten crew safety. The inner layer may never be visible in iconic moonwalk photos, but it will be central to keeping those moonwalkers alive and effective.
