Sweden Is Heading to the Moon – Historic Launch on January 15
On January 15 at 01:11 (local time Florida, UTC-5), history will be made as the Swedish MoonHouse launches from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After a four-month journey through space, the iconic red house with white corners will land and become the first building on the Moon. "It only took 25 years," remarks artist Mikael Genberg, who is attending the launch in person.
Pressrelease 9th January 2025
The launch of the Moonhouse is being carried out in collaboration with the Japanese company ispace and their lunar rover TENACIOUS and lunar lander RESILIENCE. The launch will be livestreamed at the scheduled time on ispace's website: www.ispace-inc.com. Clocks displaying the countdown to "take off" from Florida have been placed in public locations around Tokyo.
The vision of the MoonHouse has already traveled the world through Mikael Genberg's artistry – high up in treetops, into the depths of the ocean, and out into space to the International Space Station, accompanied by Sweden's first astronaut, Christer Fuglesang. Now, it is the moon's turn.
- The MoonHouse is a fantastic project, and we are incredibly pleased to be part of finally realizing it. The vision of the artwork merges with our own; to expand our planet and future, and to extend the sphere of human life into space, says Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, CEO of ispace Europe.
Watch the film from ispace: The Moonhouse together with the lunar rover TENACIOUS and lunar lander RESILIENCE
Several Technical Challenges Have Been Overcome
After the four-month-long space journey in the lander’s cargo hold, secured on the front of the rover, the Moonhouse will be placed in a sunlit area on the moon's northern hemisphere. The placement of the artwork has been carefully selected. Extensive work has been done to prepare the house structure for the journey. Every technical challenge has been approached with the mindset that anything is possible—exactly what the Moonhouse has been about from the beginning.
- Experienced engineers have worked on the Moonhouse’s technical design over the past two years. The house structure has undergone extensive shock and vibration tests to ensure it can withstand all the stresses and challenges it will face during the journey to the moon and survive intact in its new climate. We have also conducted several functional tests to simulate the landing of the house on the lunar surface, says Emil Vinterhav, head of the Moonhouse technical team.
- Even just finding a durable red paint for the house is a story in itself. Things in space are white like astronaut suits, gold-colored like the James Webb Telescope, or possibly black. Against all odds, we finally managed to identify a paint that met all the strict requirements associated with space operations, continues Emil Vinterhav.
Closing a 25-Year Circle
The Swedish MoonHouse is a spectacular story of a 25-year-long ambition to place a red house with white corners on the surface of the Moon. The idea was sparked in 1999 when Mikael Genberg read an article about Sweden building the first European lunar probe. The launch of the house has been preceded by tireless voluntary work and dedication over two and a half decades. The dream is finally being realized thanks to around 100 individuals, primarily from the art world, the space industry, business, and sports, who in recent years have contributed their expertise and resources, giving the Moonhouse new momentum. As co-creators, they are all part of a grand adventure.
Few remain unaffected by the MoonHouse, and over the years, it has inspired many minds and hearts, raising questions about what the artwork represents and what it means to those who have been touched by it.
- Perhaps this house on the Moon can symbolize life’s eternal quest to evolve, to extend our consciousness, and to view our planet from a new perspective. Isn't a house on the moon exactly what the world needs right now? asks Mikael Genberg.
Watch Mikael Genberg share The Moonhouse short story
For more information, please contact:
Mikael Genberg, Artist and Entrepreneur
Email: info@mikaelgenberg.com, Phone: +46 70 775 5393
Emil Vinterhav, Head of the Moonhouse Technical Team
Email: emil.vinterhav@themoonhouse.se, Phone: +46 70 555 1869
Hans Elis Johansson, Communications Manager for the Moonhouse
Email: hans.elis@themoonhouse.se, Phone: +46 70 513 6035
Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, CEO ispace Europe.
Email: j-lamamy@ispace-inc.com, Phone: +352 621 239 733
For press images and video material: www.themoonhouse.com
About the MoonHouse Artwork:
The Moonhouse will be the first site-specific artwork on the Moon, created at the moment the house is installed on the lunar surface. The Moon has always stimulated human imagination with its cold beauty. The knowledge that a red house with white trim stands in the middle of the "magnificent desolation," as one of the first lunar travelers described it, has the potential to shift human consciousness by reframing Earth's profound insignificance and grandeur. No matter what thoughts and emotions the Moonhouse evokes in each of us, it leaves no one untouched For more information about the Moonhouse visit: www.themoonhouse.com
About Mikael Genberg:
The Artist Mikael Genberg, based in Västerås and Virsbo, Sweden, has consistently explored human life, perspectives, and living environments using the symbol of the red house. He has placed red houses in unexpected locations, including treetops, on the water, under the water, on the world's largest spherical building, and even in space. All of this has been driven by his dream of one day reaching the moon.
About ispace:
ispace specializes in designing and building lunar landers and rovers. The company's mission is to extend the sphere of human life into space and create a sustainable world by providing high-frequency and cost-effective transportation services to the moon. ispace operates in Japan, Luxembourg, and the USA with over 300 employees. For more information, visit: www.ispace-inc.com.
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