Swedish artist’s model house could soon find permanent home on Moon

14 January 2025, 16:44

A red model house created by artist Mikael Genberg and scheduled to launch into space on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Wednesday
Sweden House on the Moon. Picture: PA

The Moonhouse, the size of a big hand, will hitch a ride to the Moon on a lunar lander operated by the Japanese company ispace.

A Swedish artist is about to have the dream of a lifetime fulfilled: a small red model house he created will be launched into space this week and, if all goes according to plan, put on the surface of the Moon.

The Moonhouse, the size of a big hand, will hitch a ride to the Moon on a lunar lander operated by the Japanese company ispace.

It is set for take-off on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 1.11am (0611 GMT) on Wednesday.

Artist Mikael Genberg said he has been wanting to put his typically Swedish-looking miniature house on the Moon for 25 years.

It was “a crazy, maybe idiotic, but at the same time, in my mind, really poetic thought to put a red house with white corners on the surface of the Moon”, Genberg said in a video posted on Facebook.

“And now it’s going to happen.”

“What’s the purpose? It’s art,” he added.

Genberg, who is currently in Florida to watch Wednesday’s launch in person, said he was very excited to finally see his house get shot into space.

“It’s small on this planet, but it will be big on the Moon – there’s nothing like that in space,” he told The Associated Press.

The house is made out of aluminium and daubed with a special, space-certified paint.

It is 12 centimetres (4.7in) long, 8cm (3.1in) wide and 10cm (3.9in) tall.

Genberg’s signature art project has already travelled the world in recent years.

The Moonhouse has been installed up in trees, underwater, was taken to the Great Wall of China, and even to the International Space Station 400 kilometres (248 miles) above Earth as a companion to Sweden’s first astronaut, Christer Fuglesang, according to the project’s website.

While it was Genberg’s idea to put the house on the Moon with the help of lunar rover Tenacious, about 70 people donated some seven million-10 million Swedish kronor (£512,000-£732,000) for the project, which also includes the flight, he said.

“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,” Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, the chief executive of ispace Europe, said in a statement.

If the launch is successful, Genberg says that once the rover lands on the Moon in about four months, “it should release the house, take some pictures and leave it alone standing there for thousands and thousands and maybe millions of years”.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

displaced Gazans walking toward Gaza City on January 27, 2025, after crossing the Netzarim corridor from the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli troops withdraw from key militarised corridor that splits Gaza in two as part of ceasefire deal

The bodies of Andrew Searle and his wife Dawn were discovered by a neighbour in Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, on Thursday afternoon.

Mysterious death of British couple in French villa suspected murder-suicide as investigators consider new theories

David Schwimmer has called for Elon Musk to ban Kanye West from X

Friends star David Schwimmer calls for Kanye West to be banned from X over 'hate-filled, ignorant' remarks

The NTSB recovers the debris of a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk involved in a mid-air collision near DCA in Arlington, VA.

All major parts of DC plane and Black Hawk helicopter involved in mid-air collision recovered, investigators confirm

A Thai hostage who was freed from Hamas, Pongsak Thaenna, hugs a relative upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi International Airport

'We never gave up hope': Freed Thai hostages in tears of joy as they reunite with families after more than a year

'Make Europe Great Again' Rally In Madrid

'Make Europe Great Again': Far-right European political leaders praise Trump at Madrid meeting

Freed Palestinian prisoners are greeted by a crowd as they arrive in the Gaza Strip after being released from an Israeli prison following a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.

Emotional scenes in West Bank and Gaza as Palestinians reunited with their families after release from Israeli prisons

Israeli hostage reunited with his family.

Emotional moment Israeli hostages reunite with families after being paraded on stage by Hamas

Police officers hold back protesters trying to block the road at the rally.

Protesters clash with police as thousands rally outside proposed site for new Chinese ‘mega-embassy’ in London

Hollyoaks star and country singer thought to be son of British couple shot dead in French villa ‘by UK gangsters’

Hollyoaks star breaks silence over death of mum found dead in French villa with her husband

The Government has ordered Apple to allow it to access encrypted files uploaded to the cloud by any Apple user worldwide, it has been reported.

UK Government orders Apple to give it access to users’ encrypted data in 'unprecedented attack on privacy'

The wreckage of the small commuter plane that crashed in western Alaska has been found

Missing Alaska Bering Air plane found with all 10 people on board confirmed dead

Hollyoaks star and country singer thought to be son of British couple shot dead in French villa ‘by UK gangsters’

Hollyoaks star and country singer thought to be son of British couple shot dead in French villa ‘by UK gangsters’

Israeli hostages Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami have been released

'We won't gloss over the shocking scenes', warns Netanyahu as three freed by Hamas paraded on stage

Harry and Meghan at the 2023 Invictus Games

Meghan to join Prince Harry at Invictus Games in Canada

President Trump Hosts Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba At The White House

Donald Trump slams brakes on some China tariffs in third trade war U-turn