Exploration Company to test Lunar hopper ONEIROS in UAE in 2027

The Exploration Company announced plans to test a lunar hopper demonstrator named ONEIROS in the United Arab Emirates in 2027.

The ONEIROS project, funded privately, aims to show technologies that may reduce the expense of reaching the lunar surface. Weighing one tonne, the demonstrator will run on a throttleable rocket engine that burns methane. Autonomous navigation and hazard‑avoidance systems will guide the vehicle, showcasing the ability to land on the Moon under its own control.

Work on the ONEIROS project began earlier in 2026, as noted in an abstract presented at the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Türkiye. Engineers have already built multiple breadboards, or early test versions of components, to reduce technical risk before the scheduled flight demonstration in 2027. A memorandum of understanding with the UAE’s national space agency, which committed to supporting the project and developing local testing capabilities, enabled the flight test arrangement in the UAE. The abstract specifies that testing will take place in the UAE desert.

After ONEIROS, The Exploration Company intends to fly a follow‑on demonstrator called Hilal to test precision landing and methane/oxygen propulsion on the lunar surface. The company describes its lunar vehicle development as a step‑by‑step approach, or a phased development process.

ispace‑EUROPE and ALTEC formalized their partnership on 12 October 2026, signing an agreement to collaborate on testing lunar rovers, running mission simulations, and training operators. The MoU was executed during the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Türkiye.

Through this agreement, ispace‑EUROPE gains access to ALTEC’s specialized testing facilities in Turin, Italy, where they can simulate robotic surface operations in conditions that mimic the lunar environment. The partners intend to assess the feasibility of testing lunar rover platforms, their subsystems, and mobility payloads under the agreement. Planned joint activities encompass system‑level verification, operator rehearsals, and specialized training for ispace‑EUROPE’s mission operations personnel.

Testing will rely on ALTEC’s planetary operations infrastructure in Turin, which is jointly owned by Thales Alenia Space and the Italian Space Agency. ALTEC operates the Rover Operations Control Centre (ROCC), a control center for rover missions, built for ESA‘s ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover. ALTEC is constructing an ASI‑funded Lunar Simulation Centre to replicate lunar soil mechanics, lighting and thermal conditions for robotic exploration.

Julien‑Alexandre Lamamy, CEO of ispace‑EUROPE, emphasized that preparing for lunar surface operations requires thorough testing, simulation, and operator training in environments that replicate the Moon. Vincenzo Giorgio, CEO of ALTEC, described the Italian Space Agency-funded Lunar Simulation Centre as a key resource that will support robotic lunar missions through testing, simulation, and operational support.

The collaboration gives ispace‑EUROPE access to European simulation assets as it advances its surface‑rover family after its commercial lunar lander deployments. Before any lunar surface missions, the partners will spend the initial phase of their technical collaboration ensuring that subsystem interfaces and operational protocols are properly tested.

In Feb. 2026, The Exploration Company joined a consortium selected by ESA to conduct a Lunar Remote Camp study, led by Danish firm SAGA Space Architects, to develop a deployable lunar shelter for robotic operations with potential astronaut short stays.