When the next astronauts make their historic trek across the lunar South Pole as part of NASA’s Artemis 3 mission, they’ll be seeing the Moon through a futuristic visor engineered by none other than Oakley — the iconic performance eyewear brand making its first leap into space.
Image credit Polaris
Oakley has officially partnered with Axiom Space to help develop the next-generation Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), the spacesuit that will be worn by astronauts during lunar surface operations. The collaboration marks Oakley’s debut in the aerospace sector, timed with the company’s 50th anniversary — and signifies a bold fusion of fashion, function, and frontier technology.
The visor system, co-developed with Axiom engineers, features Oakley’s proprietary next-generation High-Definition Optics (HDO), a hallmark of the brand's sports eyewear. This specialized optical system is being adapted to meet the extreme challenges of lunar exploration — from glaring sunlight to abrasive lunar dust.
"Really, what you want to do is optimize the clarity and vision of the astronauts during extravehicular activities (EVAs)," explained Russell Ralston, Executive Vice President of EVA at Axiom Space. "Oakley brings world-class expertise in optical systems, and it quickly became clear that they were the right partner to tackle this challenge."
The custom AxEMU visor includes a deployable two-part shield to manage severe light conditions, a secondary protective “helmet bubble” that blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation and lunar dust, and a coating of 24-karat gold for enhanced solar filtration. According to Ralston, “Gold has natural properties that help filter out particularly harmful wavelengths of sunlight — something that’s even more dangerous on the Moon than on Earth.”
Beyond visibility, the visor system is built for resilience. Lunar EVAs are expected to last hours, with astronauts moving across rugged terrain in reduced gravity. Any equipment failure — especially to the helmet — could be catastrophic. “We need to account for everything from dust abrasion to accidental impacts. If you fall face-first on the Moon, that visor has to hold up,” Ralston said.
Oakley’s experience in high-impact environments like motocross and mountain biking gave it an edge in developing protective coatings and materials capable of withstanding the Moon’s punishing conditions.
“Developing the AxEMU visor system with Axiom Space marks a historic milestone,” said Ryan Saylor, Oakley’s Senior Vice President of Advanced Product Development. “This breakthrough reflects our legacy of innovation and our dedication to pushing the boundaries of performance — even beyond Earth.”
The AxEMU suit represents the first new NASA spacesuit design in over 40 years. Axiom Space, selected by NASA in 2022 with a $228.5 million contract, is building the suits not only for the Moon but for potential use in low Earth orbit. A second contract followed in 2023 to expand its adaptability.
In May, early testing of the AxEMU took place at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) in Houston. Axiom astronaut and former JAXA spacefarer Koichi Wakata, along with two NASA engineers, evaluated the suit in the massive underwater facility, simulating microgravity conditions. “These are still early days,” said Axiom’s lead astronaut, Michael López-Alegría. “We’re working to ensure the suit performs just as well with a human inside as it does during unmanned testing.”
Oakley joins an increasingly diverse roster of AxEMU collaborators, including high-fashion label Prada and Japanese tech brand Gu. This cross-industry cooperation is central to Axiom’s vision of bringing the best minds — whether from fashion, sportswear, or technology — into the spaceflight ecosystem.
“Oakley’s not a traditional aerospace company,” López-Alegría noted. “But that’s exactly the point. At Axiom, we’re intentionally bringing in top-tier talent from outside the space world. It elevates the entire design process and, in turn, introduces space exploration into new industries.”
Ralston emphasized the balance between innovation and experience: “We’re learning from Apollo-era suits, but we’re also embracing modern tools and materials that didn’t exist 50 years ago. Oakley’s contribution is a perfect example of how we’re combining legacy and next-gen thinking.”
As Artemis 3 aims for a mid-2027 launch, the AxEMU continues to evolve — bringing together cutting-edge engineering and high-performance design. With Oakley now on board, the astronauts who return to the Moon won’t just be better protected — they’ll have a crystal-clear view of the next frontier.
“We’re not just building a suit,” Ralston said. “We’re building a vision for what exploration can be — and who gets to be part of it.”
By Azhar
Add comment
Comments