On March 31, 2026, in Washington, Italy And NASA have signed the agreement that inserts the Italian MPH housing module into the program Artemis. Teodoro Valente, president of ASI, said this closer collaboration could lead to a base camp on the Moon and, later, even an Italian astronaut on its surface.
The most solid part of the agreement lies right here. The Statement of Intent provides for collaboration between Italy and the United States on housing modules, communication systems and scientific activities on the lunar surface, within the perimeter of Artemis and with the aim of supporting a stable and long-lasting human presence. Simply translated: Italy is entering a piece of the infrastructure that will be used for astronauts to live and work up there, far beyond the symbolic effect of the photo or statement of the day.
The form MPHacronym for Multi-Purpose Habitationalready has a story behind it. In 2022 ASI and NASA had signed an agreement for a preliminary study on the multipurpose housing modules proposed by Italy for Artemis. Then, in 2025, ASI entrusted Thales Alenia Space with the development of the first human habitat destined for the lunar surface, described as a key element of the Artemis roadmap towards a permanent presence on the Moon.
The name of the astronaut
Here it is best to keep your feet on the ground. The promise of the Italian astronaut has a clear political and media weight, because it offers an immediate face to a very technical agreement. At the same time, space programs follow long timescales, revisions, industrial choices, funds and changing priorities. For this reason today the most useful data to retain concerns Italy’s role within Artemis, much more than the ready-made suggestion of the lunar walk.
There is also another aspect that deserves attention. The Italian involvement is placed in the most material part of the exploration: pressurized habitats, support systems, technologies for permanence. It is the area in which space stops looking like a showcase and becomes a question of design, industry, skills and continuity again. On the ASI website, MPH is defined the fundamental asset of Italian participation in the Artemis Agreements with NASA. It is an institutional formula, of course, but it helps to understand the point: here Italy brings a piece of home, not just a flag. The rest will come later, with the real times of Artemis. The Moon remains distant. The form, this time, is already here.
