Project Selene-100: The Mission to Put 100 Women on the Moon in 2026

Published: 22 April 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

As the Artemis II crew completes their historic splashdown and Christina Koch cements her legacy as the first woman to orbit the Moon, a different kind of lunar fever is taking hold back on terra firma. A sprawling, international coalition of space agencies and private tech firms has officially launched “Project Selene-100,” an ambitious mission to recruit 100 women to “walk on the Moon” via a series of high-fidelity analog simulations.

The goal? To gather the most comprehensive data set in human history on female physiology and psychology in lunar conditions—all while the participants’ feet remain firmly planted in the red dust of the Arizona desert and the volcanic plains of Iceland.

For decades, the “Statutory Standard” for space travel was designed around the male body. From the size of the original Apollo suits to the calibration of life-support systems, the “Naked Ape” of space exploration was, historically, a man. Project Selene-100 aims to correct this “Human Zoo” imbalance before the scheduled Artemis IV lunar landing in 2028.

Mission Phase	Location	Primary Objective
Phase 1: The ‘Dunes’	Arizona, USA	Testing 1/6th gravity simulation rigs and mobility.
Phase 2: The ‘Caves’	Lanzarote, Spain	Behavioral study of long-term isolation in lava tubes.
Phase 3: The ‘Freeze’	Iceland	Assessing thermal regulation in extreme cold (Lunar Night).
Cohort Size	100 Women	Diverse backgrounds in engineering, medicine, and geology.

The mission utilizes a “shaken and stirred” mix of physical and digital technology. Participants wear exoskeleton suits that mimic the restrictive movement of pressurized lunar gear, while VR-haptic visors overlay the actual high-resolution topography of the Moon’s South Pole, captured by recent robotic missions.

“This isn’t just playing dress-up,” says Dr. Elena Rossi, the project’s lead ethologist. “We are monitoring heart rate variability, bone density changes, and group dynamics. If we want to establish a sustainable base, we need to know how 100 different women react to the ‘low rumbling’ of the lunar environment—even if that environment is simulated.”

In a nod to the “Triple-Shift” generation currently struggling with the cost of living, the project has intentionally recruited women from non-traditional backgrounds. Many of the “Analog 100” are balancing their simulation rotations with their day jobs, essentially working a “triple-shift” of professional life, family care, and volunteer space exploration.

“I’m a nurse by day and a ‘lunar geologist’ by night,” says 28-year-old Sarah, one of the first recruits. “It’s about showing that the Moon isn’t just for a few ‘Greatest Generation’ pilots—it’s for all of us.”

While the mission has seen a “huge relief” of public support, critics argue that the £150 million price tag is a “luxury” the UK and its partners can ill-afford during the 2026 energy crisis. However, proponents point out that the technologies being tested—such as water recycling and portable solar power—are exactly what’s needed to solve “Human Zoo” problems here on Earth.

As the first cohort of 20 women enters the Arizona “Lunar Sandbox” this week, the mission represents a profound shift in our relationship with the cosmos. We may not be ready to send 100 women to the actual Moon just yet, but by the time the first female footprint is finally pressed into the lunar regalia in 2028, it will be supported by the data and dreams of 100 women who walked there first, right here on Earth.

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