ROME, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Italy's Spacewear is discussing

a deal with Virgin Galactic ( SPCE ) to design and develop a

clothing range for the training of its astronauts and space

tourists, the founder of the startup said.

"With Virgin Galactic ( SPCE ) we will make innovative, performing

suits to be worn during training by those who will fly with

Virgin Galactic ( SPCE )," Spacewear's Corinna Sperandini told Reuters,

adding however that "discussions are in an exploratory phase".

Founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, Virgin

Galactic ( SPCE ) offers wealthy customers the experience of supersonic

rocket speed, microgravity and the spectacle of the Earth's

curvature from space.

An agreement could also include the production of made in

Italy co-branded everyday clothing, inspired by spacesuits, for

spring-summer 2025.

"Maybe in the future we will dress in 'Spacesure', with

t-shirts and trousers originally designed for those who go into

space...with interesting materials and an attractive design,"

Sperandini said, comparing it to the athleisure trend in which

gym clothes are adapted and styled to be worn every day.

Spacewear produced the first Italian interactive and

wearable spacesuits approved by NASA and the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) to be used in the International Space

Station (ISS).

They were used in the first Italian suborbital mission in

June 2023 and the first all-European commercial astronaut

mission to the International Space Station Axion Mission-3.

The production cost of these spacesuits was around 250,000

euros ($274,150), to which "an intangible (value) for experience

and competence", must be added, Sperandini said, explaining the

elaborate and complex design process.

Italian fashion group Prada and Texas-based startup

Axiom Space said in October that they would collaborate to

design NASA's lunar spacesuits for the Artemis III mission

planned for 2025.

($1 = 0.9119 euros)