ALEPH
Sending Australia's first biological payload to the Moon
Our mission is to determine whether the conditions necessary for biological life can be maintained on the lunar surface, and to build the technology to sustain them.
Through this work, we advance scientific understanding, develop sovereign space technology, and engage the public in Australia's contribution to lunar exploration.
The ALEPH Programme
The Australian Lunar Experiment Promoting Horticulture (ALEPH) is a phased programme of lunar biology missions. Each mission builds on the last, working toward the goal of active plant growth in the lunar environment.
ALEPH-1 is the programme's first mission. It carries plant seeds and lichen samples to the lunar surface aboard Intuitive Machines' third lunar lander, currently scheduled for the second half of 2026. The payload is designed to monitor and transmit environmental data from within a sealed air-filled chamber over a 72-hour period on the Moon. This data will inform the design of ALEPH-2, which will advance toward plant growth experiments in the lunar environment.
ALEPH-1 has received an Overseas Payload Permit from the Australian Government, the first lunar payload to receive this authorisation under the Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018. The mission is supported by a $3.6 million grant from the Australian Space Agency through the Moon to Mars Demonstrator Mission Grants programme, and contributes to the scientific foundation needed for sustainable human presence on the Moon.
Our approach
Science
The ALEPH programme is developing the science and technology needed to sustain biological life in the lunar environment. ALEPH-1 carries plant seeds and lichen samples to establish baseline conditions for future plant growth missions.
Engineering
Engineering teams working on the ALEPH programme are designing and testing payload hardware to maintain and monitor the conditions inside a sealed biological chamber, protecting samples through launch, transit, and the lunar surface environment, and transmitting environmental data back to Earth.
Outreach
The ALEPH programme has developed public engagement activities including citizen science, challenge-based learning, and curriculum-aligned resources created with educators to bring the project into classrooms with minimal preparation.
Taking Australia to the Moon
ALEPH-1 Payload
Supported by the Australian Space Agency's Moon to Mars Demonstrator Mission Grant, ALEPH-1 is Australia's first lunar biological payload. It carries plant seeds and lichen samples and is designed to characterise the environmental conditions within a sealed chamber on the lunar surface over a 72-hour period.
The mission flies aboard Intuitive Machines' third lunar lander, scheduled for the second half of 2026.
Get Involved
Our education and outreach programme offers students, educators, and the wider community a chance to contribute to the ALEPH mission through hands-on experiments, challenge-based learning, and citizen science. From classroom kits that simulate lunar plant growth to our citizen scientist network, there are many ways to participate.
Contact us
We are based in Victoria, Australia, with team members and collaborators around the world. For enquiries, suggestions, media requests, or collaboration opportunities, please get in touch.