Swedish Artist Plans to Send a Self-Assembling Cottage to the Moon

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Fifteen years ago, Swedish artist Mikael Genberg got the idea to put an art installation on the surface of the moon. He is now in the process of trying to make his dream a reality. The proposed project, the Moonhouse, is a self-assembling red house in the style of Swedish countryside architecture. Genberg has partnered with American company Astrobotic Technology and has set up a crowdfunding site in hopes of launching the Moonhouse on a SpaceX Falcon 9 spacecraft in October 2015. The official Moonhouse promotional video features a number of supportive scientists including celebrated Swedish astronaut Christer Fugelsang:

What’s the Big Idea?

The Moonhouse is certainly an ambitious idea. The design calls for the house’s small frame to fold up for launch and then automatically self-assemble upon reaching the moon’s surface. The built house’s specs point toward an itty-bitty living space (6 square meters of floor space) but I suppose that’s fair considering the house is more symbolic than pragmatic.

Genberg’s real challenge will be raising the gargantuan amount of money necessary to fund the project — an astounding $15,000,000. As of this posting, the fund has just barely breached $5,000. But Genberg seems fairly confident that some way, somehow, he’s going to have his little red house on the moon.

Visit the Official Moonhouse Crowdfunding site.