February 12, 2026

MoonWalker: ETH Zurich Launches Lunar Robotics Project Under MARVIS Program

MOONWALKER: SWITZERLAND LAUNCHES LUNAR WALKING ROBOT PROJECT WITH CHF 3.1 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING

In January 2026, ETH Zurich officially kicked off MoonWalker, a project to develop a four-legged walking robot for lunar exploration missions. Funded with CHF 3.1 million by the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (WBF) and running through 2029, MoonWalker represents a significant commitment by Switzerland to next-generation space robotics — and a concrete step toward ESA exploration missions on the Moon.

The project is part of MARVIS (Multidisciplinary Advanced Research Ventures in Space), a national Swiss funding programme with two central objectives: preparing Swiss academic and industry partners for participation in ESA missions, and strengthening Switzerland’s broader research capabilities in robotics and space technology.

A SWISS CONSORTIUM FOR THE MOON

MoonWalker brings together a strong interdisciplinary team. ETH Zurich contributes planetary science expertise from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (D-EAPS) and cutting-edge legged robotics from the Robotic Systems Lab at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT). OST – Ostschweizer Fachhochschule joins as academic partner through its interdisciplinary Space@OST platform. On the industry side, the project unites three Swiss companies with complementary strengths: Beyond Gravity, maxon, and ANYbotics — the Zurich-based ETH spin-off behind the ANYmal legged robot platform, which has become a global reference in autonomous quadruped locomotion.

The consortium aims to reach Technology Readiness Level 6 by the end of the project — a critical threshold that marks the transition from laboratory prototype to a system validated in a representative environment, and a key milestone on the path to mission-ready hardware.

INTO THE PITS OF THE MOON

MoonWalker’s scientific ambition is directly tied to the LunarLeaper mission concept, developed by researchers at ETH Zurich. LunarLeaper targets the Marius Hills pit — a lunar skylight believed to provide access to subsurface lava tubes, which could serve as future human habitats and offer an unprecedented window into the Moon’s volcanic history.

Wheeled rovers, the workhorses of planetary exploration to date, are fundamentally limited in such terrain. Steep crater walls, loose regolith, and confined underground passages demand a different kind of mobility. A legged robot, able to hop, balance, and navigate unstructured terrain with agility, is the only realistic platform for these environments. MoonWalker is designed to go where rovers cannot.

BUILDING SWITZERLAND'S POSITION IN SPACE ROBOTICS

The WBF’s investment in MoonWalker is part of a wider CHF 6 million commitment to two MARVIS projects announced in late 2025, the second being TESSA (Technologies to Enhance Space Situational Awareness), led by the University of Bern and EPFL. Together, the two projects reflect Switzerland’s strategic ambition to strengthen its position in space research and secure a role in the next era of ESA exploration.

For ETH Zurich | Space, MoonWalker represents a convergence of the institute’s core strengths: world-class robotics, deep planetary science, and a proven ability to build the industry partnerships that turn research into missions.

🔗 MARVIS announcement: https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/9TR4LWQ9nyaCnKp5HJGin

🔗 LunarLeaper mission: https://www.lunarleaper.space/