One of the best series you'll ever watch is HBO's "From the Earth to the Moon." The 12-part series tells the "inside story" of what it took for NASA to go to the moon after John Kennedy made it a goal of his administration, announced during his 1961 State of the Union address, to "land a man on the moon before this decade is out and return him safely to Earth."
The scientists and engineers at the brand-new agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), were flabbergasted. Astronaut Alan Shepard had just been launched into space on a rocket that didn't even have enough power to put him in orbit. The Redstone rocket was designed to carry a nuclear warhead, not a human being. Shepard's flight was suborbital and this layman was telling them they had to go to the moon in less than 9 years?
That NASA was able to accomplish that goal is not only a great story, but a testament to the intellect, courage, and foresight of the leaders and workers of NASA and its contractors and subcontractors. In essence, they willed Apollo 13 to the moon. It was far more hazardous than the public ever knew or the agency ever let on. It was daring and courageous, and America was probably the only nation in world history that would have attempted the mission.
That was more than fifty years ago. Now, NASA recently unveiled its "designer spacesuits" that will be worn by astronauts who walk on the moon. Designed by the famous Italian fashion house Prada, the suits are the first design innovations for the extra-vehicular suits in 40 years. The suit is being built by a NASA "partner," Axiom Space.
Why Prada?
Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility said, “Going beyond our limits is one of the company’s values that perfectly reflects the spirit of the Prada brand and my parents’ vision. I’m very proud of the result we’re showing today, which is just the first step in a long-term collaboration with Axiom Space. We’ve shared our expertise on high-performance materials, features, and sewing techniques, and we learned a lot. I’m sure we’ll continue to explore new challenges, broaden our horizons, and build new scenarios together.”
“Our elite teams have redefined spacesuit development, establishing new pathways to innovative solutions and applying a state-of-the-art design approach for the AxEMU,” said Matt Ondler, Axiom Space President. “We have broken the mold. The Axiom Space-Prada partnership has set a new foundational model for cross-industry collaboration, further expanding what’s possible in commercial space.”
Prada’s in-depth knowledge and experience on materials and production processes supported innovative work in addition to the spacesuit cover layer. Prada’s design and product development team worked alongside Axiom Space engineers on customized material recommendations and features that would both protect astronauts against the unique challenges of the lunar environment and visually inspire future space exploration.
Prada’s expertise enabled advanced technologies and innovative sewing methods to bridge the gap between highly engineered functionality and an aesthetically appealing white outer layer, providing astronauts with an increased level of comfort while improving the materials’ performance.
The first woman on the moon will wear... a Prada spacesuit.
— i-D (@i_D) October 16, 2024
Read more at https://t.co/BXUWe8mY3m. pic.twitter.com/A0axwLEWyS
Out with the old NASA. In with the new NASA. Pizzazz and Shazam! That's how we're getting back to the moon.
Unveiled during the International Astronautical Congress, organized by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and hosted by Milan in its 75th edition, the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit represents the result of the extraordinary collaboration… pic.twitter.com/OEKVNjLxGa
— PRADA (@Prada) October 18, 2024
I hate to be a wet rag, but Elon Musk will be on Mars before NASA gets back to the moon. Musk could launch people to Mars before the end of this decade. NASA is still futzing with the whole Artemis program, including problems with the Orion capsule, and the Space Launch System (SLS) that's supposed to boost astronauts into orbit.
Did I mention NASA has already poured $93 billion into this turkey? The Artemis program was supposed to get us back to the moon by 2022. Instead, the Orion capsule won't even be crewed until 2026 (maybe) and a manned landing won't be possible until 2027 at the earliest. That's about the time the Chinese will have already gone and built a moon base.
NASA has traded in its shirt pocket protectors for fu-fu couture and it makes me ill.
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