A 'Moving House' on the Moon Begins to Stir—US Company to Provide 'Legs' for Italian Lunar Habitation Project
In March 2026, a contract was quietly etched into the history of space exploration. Astrobotic, a space company based in Pittsburgh, USA, received a new order from Thales Alenia Space. The scope of the work is to develop the wheel system for the 'MPH (Multi-Purpose Habitation)' lunar habitat module, which is being planned by the Italian Space Agency (ASI).
A 'house' being built on the moon—that might still sound like a distant prospect. However, for humanity to engage in long-term activities on the moon, we need more than just spacecraft for travel; we need bases where we can actually live. The MPH is designed as a mobile, pressurized module aimed at supporting scientific exploration and daily living near the lunar south pole for over a decade. The launch is targeted for 2033. It is designed for two astronauts to stay for up to 30 days at a time, once a year, and as its name suggests, it is a 'moving house' that can travel on its own.
It is 3 meters wide, 6 meters long, and weighs approximately 15 tons. To allow this module to move safely across the uneven lunar terrain, special wheels are essential. The lunar surface is a rugged landscape of craters and rocks, a world entirely different from Earth's roads. In addition, the area near the lunar south pole has many 'permanently shadowed regions' where sunlight never reaches, requiring a design that can withstand extreme cold.
This is where the wheels become an issue. Astrobotic is proposing a design that uses a lightweight tension cable structure. By connecting the hub and rim with cables, they are reducing weight while maintaining rigidity. The foundation for this is the wheel development the company has already been conducting for its Lunar Mobility Platform (AMP); the challenge lies in scaling this technology to meet the requirements of the MPH and ensuring it has the reliability to withstand 10 years of use. Features to suppress heat loss in shadowed, cold environments are also included, which will contribute to reducing the power consumption of the entire habitation module.
This initiative reflects more than just technical matters. The fact that an American company, Astrobotic, the Italian Space Agency (ASI), and the French-Italian joint venture Thales Alenia Space—players of different nationalities—are cooperating on the 'legs for a lunar house' is significant. This contract clearly illustrates the current trend where space development is shifting from 'state-led, single-nation projects' to 'international supply chains.' Thales Alenia Space has been deeply involved in the design and manufacturing of pressurized modules for the International Space Station (ISS), and that know-how is now being directed toward the lunar surface. Under the Artemis Accords between NASA and the ASI, Italy is taking on the core of lunar infrastructure, and an American startup is participating with specialized technology—this structure of division of labor is an important model for predicting the future space economy.
Astrobotic's journey has not been without its challenges. The company's first lunar lander, 'Peregrine Mission One,' launched in January 2024, failed to enter lunar orbit due to propulsion system trouble and burned up in the atmosphere. However, the company did not stop there, and development continues for its next mission, 'Griffin Mission One,' which aims for a launch no earlier than July 2026. This time, the plan is to target a precision landing at the Nobile Crater at the lunar south pole and deliver multiple payloads, including the FLIP rover from Venturi Astrolab. Because the company has accumulated knowledge in lunar mobility through repeated failures and re-challenges, this order for wheel development carries significant weight.
The overall picture of how 2026 is becoming the 'year with the largest scale in the history of lunar exploration' was summarized in a previous article.
With content organizing how the moon is transforming into a 'place of business'—including NASA's Artemis II, multiple private landing missions, and China's independent plans—Astrobotic's movements are positioned within that flow.
For the current state of private transport business aimed at lunar habitation, this article is also a useful reference.
Long-term 'habitation' in space is no longer a dream; it is beginning to appear on project schedules. When you consider that the news of an order for a single simple part like a wheel encapsulates the form of international cooperation and the major shift toward the supply-chainization of the space industry, today's space business news should look a little different.
Reference Articles
〇Astrobotic Wins Lunar Wheel Contract For Italian Habitat (March 9, 2026)
〇Astrobotic has been awarded a contract by Thales Alenia Space to develop the Lunar Wheel for the Italian Space Agency's Multi-Purpose Habitation Mobility System (March 7, 2026)
〇Thales Alenia Space to Lead Design of Italy's First Lunar Habitat for Artemis (July 28, 2025)
〇Astrobotic delays Griffin-1 Moon mission to NET July 2026 (October 28, 2025)
〇2026, The Largest Rush to the Moon in History—The Dawn of a New Era Where Private and State Compete (January 6, 2026)
〇Private Transport Business to the Moon: A New Era of Space Development (May 14, 2025)