What’s the story?
Astroport Space Technologies and XelerateVR have formed a strategic partnership to let human operators on VR treadmills control humanoid robots building on the Moon.
Why it matters
Full-body tracking means the operator’s walking, reaching and gripping transfer to the robot, keeping skilled hands-on work possible while the worker stays off the lunar surface.
The bigger picture
Teleoperation is the first of several space applications planned, with the treadmill also set to serve as a training system for astronauts rehearsing surface operations.
September 2, 2026 – Astroport Space Technologies, a developer of civil engineering and materials technologies for building infrastructure on the Moon, and XelerateVR, a developer of omnidirectional treadmills for immersive virtual reality (VR) training and simulation, have recently announced a strategic partnership to make lunar construction safe and scalable.
The companies stated that they plan to pair humanoid robots on the Moon with human operators who control them via full-body-tracked, 360-degree VR treadmills. The partnership brings together Astroport’s lunar construction technology and XelerateVR’s full-body motion platform to advance lunar operations.
According to the companies, in the system they plan to develop a human operator would see what the robot sees through a VR headset. XelerateVR’s omnidirectional treadmill tracks the operator’s entire body, meaning that when they walk, the robot walks. Similarly, when the operator reaches, grips or kneels, the robot mirrors those movements too.
Paired with Astroport’s lunar construction systems, the approach is designed to keep the human in control while taking them out of harm’s way, and will let skilled workers perform hands-on work on the lunar surface from the safety of a pressurized habitat or the cabin of a crewed lander.
Commenting on the partnership, Marvin Fachtner, Chief Executive Officer at XelerateVR, said: “People imagine lunar construction as astronauts with power tools. We imagine the same worker in a safe habitat, wearing a headset and walking on our treadmill, while a robot on the surface mirrors every movement. It doesn’t feel like piloting a drone. It feels like being there. That is how you bring human skill to the Moon without risking human lives.”
According to Astroport and XelerateVR, construction on the Moon cannot yet be fully automated, and tasks that demand judgment, dexterity and improvisation still require a human mind at the controls. The companies added that a lunar construction site could expose workers to abrasive regolith dust, extreme temperature swings and jagged surfaces, where a single snag could puncture a spacesuit.
“Building on the Moon means answering a question every hazardous job site eventually asks. How do you get skilled human judgment onto the site without putting a human body in danger? On the Moon, that question becomes a matter of survival. XelerateVR’s platform gives us an answer. Our teams can do the hands-on work lunar construction demands without ever putting a human body in the line of fire. This partnership is how we make lunar infrastructure both safe and buildable at scale,” said Sam Ximenes, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Astroport Space Technologies.
Teleoperation is the first of several space applications Astroport and XelerateVR plan to pursue. According to the companies, the platform can also serve as a training system, where astronauts could rehearse surface operations long before launch by walking through virtual reconstructions of landing sites, construction zones and emergency scenarios.
The companies added that on long-duration missions, a crew member could even step onto the treadmill and walk through a forest or a home city without ever leaving the spacecraft.
GTIF Capital, an international strategic advisory and investment firm, initiated the relationship between the two companies and helped facilitate the partnership. David Chen, Managing Partner of GTIF Capital, has joined the Boards of Advisors of both companies as a shareholder in each.
Astroport and XelerateVR stated that they expect to announce additional technology initiatives, commercial partnerships and international programs as the strategic partnership continues to develop.
For more information on XelerateVR and its omnidirectional treadmill platform, please visit the company’s website.
Image credit: Astroport Space Technologies / XelerateVR
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix, where he has spent years immersed in the XR ecosystem, tracking its evolution from early prototypes to the technologies shaping the future of human experience. While primarily covering the latest AR and VR news, his interests extend to the wider world of human augmentation, from AI and robotics to haptics, wearables, and brain–computer interfaces.