Space & Satellites
Thales Alenia Space and Italy Develop Lunar Habitat for Artemis Mission
Thales Alenia Space and Italian Space Agency develop a mobile lunar habitat module for NASA’s Artemis program, boosting Italy’s space role.
Thales Alenia Space and Italian Space Agency to Develop First Human Outpost on the Moon
The collaboration between Thales Alenia Space (TAS) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) marks a pivotal advancement in the global effort to establish a sustained human presence on the moon. This initiative is part of NASA’s Artemis program, a multinational endeavor aiming to return humans to the lunar surface and lay the groundwork for future missions to Mars.
On July 25, 2025, TAS and ASI signed a contract to develop the Multi-Purpose Habitation (MPH) module, a pressurized lunar habitat designed to support both human and robotic missions. The MPH module is scheduled for launch in 2033 and will be a cornerstone of the Artemis lunar infrastructure. This development not only enhances Italy’s strategic role in space exploration but also reflects broader trends in international cooperation and technological innovation in the Aerospace sector.
With the backing of Italy’s newly enacted Space Economy Law, this project signals a shift in national policy toward fostering a robust space economy. The law supports private and public partnerships, streamlines regulatory processes, and allocates funding to strengthen Italy’s presence in the global space race.
Background: Artemis Program and Italy’s Strategic Role
The Artemis program, initiated by NASA in 2017, aims to return humans to the moon by 2025 and establish a long-term, sustainable presence by the end of the decade. The program includes the development of the Lunar Gateway, a space station orbiting the moon, and surface habitats like the MPH module. Artemis is a collaborative effort involving numerous international partners, including the European Space Agency (ESA), Japan, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates.
Italy has emerged as a significant contributor to Artemis through its national space agency, ASI, and its industrial partner, Thales Alenia Space. TAS, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), brings decades of experience in building pressurized modules for the International Space Station and other deep space missions. Their expertise makes them a key player in developing the infrastructure required for lunar habitation.
In June 2025, the Italian government passed the Space Economy Law, a comprehensive regulatory framework designed to support the country’s growing space sector. The law mandates insurance requirements for space missions, enforces debris mitigation strategies, and provides funding to Startups and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). These measures align with Italy’s broader investment strategy, which includes €2.7 billion for ASI and €8.5 billion through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Multi-Purpose Habitation Module: Design and Capabilities
The MPH module will be a pressurized habitat designed to support both crewed and uncrewed missions on the lunar surface. Measuring approximately 6 meters in length and 3 meters in diameter, the module will weigh around 15 tonnes. One of its unique features is its mobility, unlike stationary lunar habitats, the MPH will be equipped with wheels, allowing it to move across the lunar surface for optimal positioning and scientific exploration.
The module is expected to have a minimum operational lifespan of 10 years and will be compatible with other Artemis infrastructure, including the Lunar Gateway. It will support a range of activities, from life support for astronauts to autonomous scientific experiments. The design also incorporates advanced materials and systems to address environmental challenges such as radiation exposure, lunar dust, and extreme temperature variations.
Development will be carried out by TAS in collaboration with ALTEC, a joint venture between TAS and ASI, and other Italian industrial partners. The two-year contract focuses on the preliminary design and validation of key technologies needed to operate in the harsh lunar environment.
“This milestone will strengthen human exploration on the Moon and beyond.”, Giampiero Di Paolo, Deputy CEO of Thales Alenia Space
Environmental and Technical Challenges
Operating on the moon presents numerous technical and environmental challenges. The lunar surface is exposed to high levels of radiation, lacks a protective atmosphere, and experiences temperature swings from -173°C at night to 127°C during the day. These conditions necessitate robust thermal control systems, radiation shielding, and durable materials.
The MPH module will also need to address the issue of lunar dust, which is highly abrasive and can interfere with mechanical systems and electronics. Engineers at TAS are developing dust-resistant materials and seals to ensure the module’s longevity and safety. Mobility adds another layer of complexity, requiring reliable wheel systems and navigation capabilities on uneven terrain.
Additionally, the module will be designed to support both autonomous and human-operated modes. This dual capability ensures flexibility in mission planning and allows for continuous scientific research even when astronauts are not present.
Recent Developments and Strategic Investments
In July 2025, TAS and ASI signed the contract for the MPH module’s preliminary design phase. This agreement represents Italy’s most significant investment in lunar infrastructure to date. According to ASI President Teodoro Valente, “The future lunar module is part of Italy’s long-term vision to lead the new space race.”
The Space Economy Law, enacted the previous month, has laid the groundwork for this and future projects. The law includes provisions for up to €100 million in mandatory insurance per incident, requirements for debris mitigation, and a €35 million Space Economy Fund to support startups and infrastructure development. These measures aim to make Italy a competitive player in the global space economy.
Thales Alenia Space has also secured other major contracts, such as the €862 million ESA Argonaut mission to develop a lunar lander for cargo delivery. Additionally, TAS is contributing to the Lunar Gateway through the ESPRIT module, which will handle telecommunications and refueling, and the HALO habitat module, further cementing its role in lunar exploration.
Global Collaboration and Competition
The Artemis program is a prime example of international collaboration in space exploration. NASA leads the initiative, but major contributions come from ESA, JAXA (Japan), CSA (Canada), and the UAE. These countries are developing various components, such as habitation modules, robotic arms, and scientific instruments. The goal is to create a sustainable lunar ecosystem that supports long-duration missions and serves as a testbed for Mars exploration.
While collaboration is central to Artemis, competition remains a driving force. Private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing their own lunar landers and spacecraft. SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s New Glenn are designed for heavy payload delivery and crewed missions, potentially overlapping with some Artemis objectives.
In this context, TAS’s contributions help ensure that Europe maintains a strategic foothold in lunar exploration. Their experience with pressurized modules, such as those used on the International Space Station, gives them a competitive edge in developing reliable, human-rated habitats for deep space missions.
Conclusion
The Partnerships between Thales Alenia Space and the Italian Space Agency represents a significant commitment to the future of lunar exploration. With the development of the Multi-Purpose Habitation module, Italy is not only contributing to the Artemis program but also positioning itself as a leader in the next phase of human spaceflight.
As the global space race intensifies, initiatives like the MPH module highlight the importance of international cooperation, technological innovation, and strategic investment. The coming years will determine how these efforts shape humanity’s return to the moon and our eventual journey to Mars.
FAQ
What is the MPH module?
The Multi-Purpose Habitation (MPH) module is a pressurized lunar habitat being developed by Thales Alenia Space and the Italian Space-Agencies as part of NASA’s Artemis program.
When will the MPH module be launched?
The module is scheduled for Launch in 2033 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
What makes the MPH module unique?
Unlike traditional stationary habitats, the MPH module will be equipped with wheels, allowing it to move across the lunar surface. It will also support both human and autonomous missions.
What is Italy’s role in the Artemis program?
Italy, through ASI and TAS, is contributing critical infrastructure like the MPH module and participating in other projects like the Lunar Gateway and the ESA Argonaut mission.
What is the Space Economy Law?
Enacted in June 2025, the law provides a regulatory framework for Italy’s space sector, including insurance mandates, debris mitigation, and funding for startups and SMEs.
Sources
Photo Credit: Thales Alenia Space
Space & Satellites
SpaceX CRS-35 Delivers Final iROSA Arrays to ISS
SpaceX Dragon docked to the ISS on Oct. 15, 2026, delivering the last two iROSA arrays to complete the station’s power upgrade.
The Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) Dragon cargo spacecraft autonomously docked to the International Space Station (ISS) on October 15, 2026, delivering the final set of upgraded solar arrays required to complete a multi-year power modernization program for the orbital laboratory.
According to a press release from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the 35th Commercial Resupply Services mission (CRS-35) delivered more than 6,300 pounds of scientific equipment, supplies, and hardware to the Expedition 75 crew. The payload includes the seventh and eighth International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (iROSA), which are expected to increase the station’s electric power generation capacity by up to 30 percent once fully installed.
Autonomous docking and cargo delivery
The mission commenced on October 13, 2026, when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Dragon spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Lift-off occurred at 6:33 a.m. EDT. Following a two-day orbital transit, the spacecraft autonomously docked to the space-facing port of the ISS Harmony module at 11:00 a.m. EDT on October 15, 2026.
The 6,300 pounds of cargo includes critical hardware for advanced biomedical research. NASA highlighted that the scientific investigations aboard the Dragon spacecraft will support studies into the manufacturing of artificial retinas and the growth of heart tissues in microgravity environments. These experiments rely on the continuous power and stable microgravity conditions provided by the orbital outpost.
Completing the orbital power upgrade
The delivery of the final two iROSA units marks the concluding phase of an infrastructure upgrade program that began in June 2021. The initiative was designed to augment the station’s aging original solar arrays, which have degraded over more than two decades of exposure to the space environment.
Six arrays were previously installed during a series of spacewalks conducted between 2021 and 2023. The CRS-35 mission transported the seventh and eighth arrays stowed inside the unpressurized trunk of the Dragon spacecraft. Once these final arrays are extracted and integrated into the station’s truss structure, the total available power for the ISS will increase to between 160 and 215 kilowatts.
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk are scheduled to conduct U.S. spacewalks 100 and 101 to complete the installation. The exact dates for these extravehicular activities remain pending.
Expedition 75 operations and commercial resupply context
The arrival of the CRS-35 cargo mission follows a recent crew rotation on the station. On October 1, 2026, the SpaceX Crew-13 mission reached the ISS, bringing Menon, Kutryk, and NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney to begin their six-month research mission as part of Expedition 75. The previous Crew-12 quartet departed the station on October 7, 2026, clearing the docking ports and schedule for upcoming cargo operations.
SpaceX operates as a primary provider for NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services program. The agency also contracts with Northrop Grumman, utilizing its Cygnus spacecraft, and Sierra Space, utilizing its Dream Chaser spaceplane, for cargo delivery. These commercial partnerships ensure a continuous national capability to deliver scientific research and critical supplies to the ISS, significantly increasing the ability of NASA to conduct new investigations.
AirPro News analysis
The delivery of the final iROSA arrays represents the culmination of a critical infrastructure project for the ISS. As the station operates through its final planned years, maximizing electrical power generation is essential to support the increasing volume of commercial and government research payloads. We view the successful deployment of these final arrays as a necessary step to maintain the station’s viability and research output capacity. The completion of this power upgrade ensures the orbital laboratory can meet the energy demands of advanced microgravity research through the end of its operational lifecycle.
Photo Credit: NASA
Space & Satellites
Agile Space Industries Expands to Bellevue Washington
Agile Space Industries opens a Bellevue, WA office amid 40% annual growth, a Colorado HQ expansion, and a $36M Oklahoma test center.
Agile Space Industries is establishing a new office in Bellevue, Washington, positioning the in-space propulsion manufacturer to recruit from the Pacific Northwest’s established aerospace engineering talent pool.
The expansion, announced in an October 2026 press release, follows a period of rapid scaling for the company, which has recorded year-over-year growth exceeding 40 percent for the past three years. The Bellevue location adds to a growing national footprint designed to meet surging demand for chemical propulsion systems in the commercial space, lunar exploration, and defense sectors.
Scaling operations across multiple states
The move into the Seattle metropolitan area is part of a broader infrastructure build-out for Agile Space Industries. By the end of 2026, the company expects its business to have grown more than four-fold compared to 2022 levels. To support this trajectory, the manufacturer recently completed a 20,500-square-foot expansion of its headquarters in Durango, Colorado.
The August 2026 Durango expansion doubled the facility’s footprint to 40,000 square feet. This additional space is dedicated to increasing manufacturing capacity for the company’s 3D-printed thrusters and supporting a growing workforce. During the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Colorado site, Agile Space Industries CEO Chris Pearson highlighted the strategic nature of the company’s geographic spread.
“The opening of the expanded Durango facility is crucial to support our continued growth. By year-end, the business will have grown more than four-fold since 2022, and the expanded footprint shows our commitment to our HQ here in Colorado while growing our presence in Oklahoma and Washington.”
Concurrently, the company is developing a $36 million hot-fire rocket engine testing center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Located on 20 acres adjacent to Tulsa International Airport (TUL), the facility will support testing requirements for NASA, the US Department of Defense, and commercial space operators. The Tulsa site adds dedicated infrastructure for the rigorous qualification processes required for in-space propulsion systems.
Leadership changes and propulsion market context
The Bellevue office announcement follows a recent leadership transition aimed at managing the company’s rapid scaling. In late September 2026, Agile Space Industries appointed Jason Wright as President. Wright brings 25 years of aerospace experience to the role, including previous tenure at Lockheed Martin. He is tasked with steering the organization toward its goal of quintupling 2022 revenue by the end of the current year.
Agile Space Industries specializes in designing, 3D printing, and testing chemical propulsion systems that operate on hydrazine and hydrazine-based constituents. The company differentiates itself in the competitive space propulsion market through rapid design iteration and extensive in-house testing capabilities. Engineers at the firm have conducted over 8,000 hot-fire tests to date, a metric that underscores the company’s focus on empirical validation.
The manufacturer gained significant industry traction in April 2023 when it qualified its A110 bipropellant thruster for lunar landers. This milestone marked the first US-built thruster qualified for lunar landers since the Apollo program. Following the qualification, the company secured agreements to supply thrusters for lunar vehicles developed by Astrobotic, ispace, and Masten Space Systems.
Financial backing has accelerated this industrial expansion. In February 2026, Agile Space Industries raised $17 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round. This capital injection has directly supported the company’s hiring initiatives. As of September 2026, the company employed 167 people across four states, having added 77 employees over the preceding 12 months. The new Bellevue office is expected to further accelerate this headcount growth by tapping into Washington’s deep reservoir of aerospace engineering talent.
Photo Credit: Agile Space Industries
Space & Satellites
Dawn Aerospace Breaks Ground on $7.5M Oklahoma Spaceport Facility
Dawn Aerospace begins construction of a 15,000-sq-ft mission control and hangar at Infinity One Spaceport, set to open in late 2027.
Dawn Aerospace and Oklahoma state officials broke ground on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, on a $7.5 million mission control and hangar facility at the Infinity One Spaceport. The project establishes a dedicated United States operational base for the company’s runway-launched Aurora spaceplane.
Funded through an appropriation by the Oklahoma Legislature, the development signals the state’s intent to capture a larger share of the commercial spaceflight and microgravity research markets. Dawn Aerospace announced the milestone in a joint press release with the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics (ODAA) and the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA).
Infrastructure for runway-based spaceflight
The 15,000-square-foot complex will feature a 5,000-square-foot mission control and operations center alongside a 10,000-square-foot hangar. The hangar is sized to accommodate the Aurora spaceplane, a reusable, rocket-powered vehicle designed to operate like a traditional aircraft from conventional runways. The facility will also include dedicated avionics and payload workspaces, as well as a flight simulation office.
Grayson Ardies, CEO of OSIDA and Executive Director of ODAA, described the groundbreaking as a turning point for the spaceport.
“For years, we’ve talked about Oklahoma’s potential in commercial spaceflight. Now we’re putting that potential into motion. Dawn Aerospace is bringing a fundamentally different approach to reaching space, one that uses a conventional runway rather than a traditional rocket launchpad. That’s exactly the kind of innovation we want to attract to Infinity One,” Ardies said.
Aurora spaceplane capabilities and microgravity contracts
Dawn Aerospace has completed 64 test flights of the Aurora vehicle to date. In 2024, the spaceplane established a world speed record by reaching an altitude of 20 kilometers (approximately 66,000 feet) from a runway in 118.6 seconds. The final vehicle is designed to reach a top speed of Mach 3.7 and a peak altitude of 100 kilometers.
The new facility will directly support a recently announced commercial campaign. On September 1, 2026, Astral Materials selected Dawn Aerospace for up to 100 microgravity flights from Infinity One Spaceport. Astral Materials plans to use the flights to test next-generation materials and semiconductor manufacturing technologies. The Aurora spaceplane’s four-hour turnaround time will allow the company to conduct multiple tests in a single day.
The vehicle is designed to provide approximately two minutes of microgravity per suborbital flight. Recent company statements have cited the exact duration as between 120 and 127 seconds.
Oklahoma’s aerospace economy and Infinity One history
The Infinity One Oklahoma Spaceport is one of 14 spaceports licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States, and it holds the distinction of being the first inland facility. The site has a long aviation history, originally serving as a Naval Air training facility during World War II and later operating as a Strategic Air Command installation during the Cold War.
The $7.5 million investment aligns with broader state economic goals. According to the ODAA, the aerospace and defense industry currently contributes $52.5 billion to the Oklahoma economy and supports over 250,000 jobs.
Construction of the Dawn Aerospace facility is expected to conclude in the fall of 2027. The company plans to begin flying the full-performance Aurora spaceplane from the site later that year.
AirPro News analysis
The development of inland spaceports like Infinity One represents a necessary evolution in commercial spaceflight infrastructure. Coastal vertical launch facilities are increasingly congested, creating scheduling bottlenecks for research and payload customers. By utilizing a runway-independent spaceplane, Dawn Aerospace can bypass traditional launchpad constraints. If the company successfully achieves its targeted twice-daily flight cadence, this Oklahoma facility could become a blueprint for high-frequency, low-cost microgravity research access.
Photo Credit: Dawn Aerospace
-
Technology & Innovation5 days agoFAA Awards Heart Aerospace $2.9M for ES-36 Hybrid Propulsion
-
Space & Satellites5 days agoNASA SpaceX CRS-35 Mission Targets October 2026 ISS Launch
-
Space & Satellites4 days agoFCC Authorizes SpaceX 15000 Satellite Direct-to-Device Network
-
Technology & Innovation7 days agoSkyDrive and MUFG Bank Launch Kansai eVTOL Study
-
Aircraft Orders & Deliveries3 days agoJapan Airlines Orders Up to 26 Embraer E190-E2 for J-AIR