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EL PASO, TX / ACCESS Newswire / August 19, 2026 / Astroport Space Technologies and XelerateVR today announced a strategic partnership to make lunar construction safe and scalable. The companies 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. Together, the companies aim to enable teleoperated construction robots on the Moon, deliver immersive astronaut training, and develop new approaches to crew health and performance on long-duration missions.
Construction on the Moon cannot yet be fully automated. Tasks that demand judgment, dexterity, and improvisation still require a human mind at the controls. Even highly autonomous construction processes will need astronauts for oversight, inspection, and intervention when required. Putting a human body on site is another matter. Every spacewalk carries a real cost. Consumables and life support are finite, suit-up and prep time are expensive, and time on the surface is limited. The physical danger adds to that cost. A lunar construction site exposes workers to abrasive regolith dust, extreme temperature swings, and jagged surfaces on structures and tools. A single snag or misstep can puncture a spacesuit and turn a routine task into a life-or-death emergency within seconds.
The partnership’s answer is to keep the human in control while taking the human out of harm’s way. XelerateVR’s omnidirectional treadmill tracks the operator’s entire body. In the system the companies plan to develop, the operator would see what the robot sees through the headset. When the operator walks, the robot walks. When the operator reaches, grips, or kneels, the robot mirrors those movements. The companies intend the experience to feel less like steering a machine and more like stepping into a second body. Paired with Astroport’s lunar construction systems, this approach is designed to 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.
Teleoperation is the first of several space applications the companies plan to pursue together. The same platform can also serve as a training system. Astronauts could rehearse surface operations long before launch, walking through virtual reconstructions of landing sites, construction zones, and emergency scenarios, while mission teams use the same environments for planning and simulation.
On long-duration missions, the technology could also give crews an escape from the confinement of their spacecraft. A crew member could step onto the treadmill and walk through a forest, a home city, or a future settlement without ever leaving the spacecraft. Natural walking and running deliver physical exercise in a compact footprint, while the change of scenery supports mental health through months of isolation.
Beyond these initial programs, Astroport and XelerateVR will explore opportunities to combine their technologies, capabilities, and industry relationships across commercial aerospace, defense, industrial training and teleoperation, digital engineering, enterprise simulation, healthcare and rehabilitation, and workforce development. The companies believe the convergence of extended reality, robotics, artificial intelligence, digital twins, advanced manufacturing, and commercial space infrastructure represents a major technology opportunity for the coming decade.
GTIF Capital initiated the relationship between Astroport and XelerateVR and helped facilitate the development of the strategic partnership. David Chen, Managing Partner of GTIF Capital, has joined the Boards of Advisors of both companies as a shareholder in each. The firm will continue to support both companies with strategic advisory services spanning corporate development, capital formation, strategic partnerships, government engagement, and international commercialization.