First House on the Moon: Swedish Red Cottage to Land June 5
A historic moment is approaching. On June 5 at 09:24 PM CET, a tiny red house — a traditional Swedish cottage — is set to become the first house ever to land on the Moon.
After traveling through space for more than four months aboard the lunar lander RESILIENCE, the artwork known as The Moonhouse now enters its most critical phase: a soft landing in the Mare Frigoris region — the Sea of Cold.
One Small House, One Giant Dream
This unique fusion of art and technology began with a bold, almost impossible idea. In 1999, Swedish artist Mikael Genberg envisioned placing a classic red house with white corners on the Moon. Since then, a diverse group of engineers, dreamers, and passionate believers have kept the vision alive — across time and space, across the Earth, and now into deep space.
It’s not about science or politics, says Genberg. It’s about reminding us of what we all share — our humanity, our imagination, and our longing for home. A red house gazing back at the Pale Blue Dot, as Carl Sagan once described our fragile planet.
Watch Mikael Genberg on the landing
Landing on the Moon - The Greatest Challenge in Spaceflight
Despite decades of technological advancement, landing on the Moon remains one of the most complex challenges in spaceflight. Japanese ispace is now undertaking its second mission after an unsuccessful attempt in 2023. The project demands extreme precision — and even with a successful landing, the most delicate moment will still lie ahead.
Mounted on the front of the lunar rover TENACIOUS is the house itself. Once the lander touches down, the rover will be deployed to scout the Moon’s surface for the perfect site.
Eight Centimeters to Eternity
The hardest part starts now. The Moonhouse must find its place — and then perform its own little Moon landing: a drop of just eight centimeters, powered only by gravity. We’ll be holding our breath until the images reach us, says Emil Vinterhav, Technical Lead for The Moonhouse.
It’s a highly delicate maneuver, remotely operated from 400,000 kilometers away, says Antoine Bocquier, Rover Pilot and Senior Space System Engineer at ispace. I will guide the rover to a location that is both stable and symbolically meaningful.
Only then — when the house stands alone on the Moon — will the artwork known as The Moonhouse be complete.
More than Art
This is more than a work of art. It is a 26-year journey of persistence, collaboration, and belief — a red little house that dares to dream. On the Moon. Forever.
- Hans Elis Johansson, Communications Director and part of the project from the beginning
Follow the landing
https://ispace-inc.com/landing
More information
Media Contacts
Mikael Genberg, Artist
info@mikaelgenberg.com | +46 70 775 5393
Emil Vinterhav, Technical Lead, The Moonhouse
emil.vinterhav@themoonhouse.se | +46 70 555 1869
Hans Elis Johansson, Communications Director
hans.elis@themoonhouse.se | +46 70 513 6035
