31 March 2026 Italy and NASA signed a historic statement of intent to jointly create the first permanent base on the surface of the moon.
This agreement was the result of a change in NASA's strategy, which decided to suspend the development of the orbital station Gateway in favor of deploying a full-fledged infrastructure directly on the lunar surface.
Key aspects of cooperation:
"House on the Moon" Made in Italy: Italy's main contribution will be the development and construction of a multipurpose residential module (Multi-Purpose Habitation – MPH). This will be the first hermetic module for long-term residence of astronauts on the surface of a satellite.
Italian astronaut on the moon: The agreement provides, that thanks to this partnership, an Italian astronaut will have the opportunity to become one of those, who will land on the surface of the moon as part of the Artemis program.
Technological leadership: The main industrial partner of the project is Thales Alenia Space, which is already working on the design of the module in Turin. The module will have a length of approx 10 meters and will be equipped with a wheel base for precise positioning on the terrain.
Deadlines and budget: The launch of the first components of the Italian module is planned for 2033 year. NASA's total investment in the new lunar base concept is estimated at 20 billions of dollars.
The move cements Italy's status as a strategic partner of the US in deep space exploration and allows the national aerospace sector to become a key player in the creation of lunar infrastructure.
Source: https://lookintothe.space