CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts | November 3, 2026 | Scientists are developing a new technology that could change how humans build and expand living spaces in orbit. The system, called TESSERAE, uses magnetic, self-assembling tiles designed to connect autonomously in space, potentially creating structures much larger than the rockets that transport them.
Developed by Ariel Ekblaw during her doctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the technology is designed to address one of the biggest challenges in space construction: transporting large structures through the limited cargo capacity of rockets and assembling them in the difficult conditions of microgravity.
According to MIT Media Lab and a CNN report, the tiles can be stacked compactly inside a spacecraft and released after reaching orbit. Using electro-permanent magnets, cameras, sensors and artificial intelligence, the units are designed to identify one another, connect and form predetermined structures without requiring astronauts to assemble every component manually.
The project has already undergone several rounds of testing. MIT records show that early prototypes were tested during a zero-gravity aircraft flight in 2017 and aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital rocket in 2019. In March 2020, seven prototype tiles were delivered to the International Space Station (ISS), where they successfully demonstrated autonomous assembly and the ability to detect and correct faulty magnetic connections. Additional tests followed during Axiom Space’s private Ax-1 mission in 2022.
The next major milestone is scheduled for December 2026, when 32 fifth-generation TESSERAE tiles are expected to undergo another demonstration aboard the ISS. According to Rendezvous Robotics, the units are intended to autonomously assemble into a three-dimensional structure inside a controlled microgravity environment. The test will assess the technology’s ability to construct larger formations without direct human assembly.
The development is also gaining commercial support. Rendezvous Robotics, a company spun off from the Aurelia Institute, announced on October 28 that it had raised US$20 million in seed funding led by MaC Venture Capital and Toyota Ventures. The company plans a separate orbital demonstration in 2028 involving seven independently operating spacecraft tiles designed to assemble, separate and reconfigure into different formations.
Beyond human habitats, the technology could eventually support large telecommunications antennas, solar arrays and other space infrastructure. Its modular design could allow structures to be expanded or modified after launch instead of requiring entirely new spacecraft for every additional capability.
The concept addresses a longstanding limitation in space exploration. Construction of the International Space Station began in November 1998, when its first two major components, Russia’s Zarya module and the United States’ Unity connecting module, were joined in orbit. According to NASA, completing the station required 36 Space Shuttle assembly flights and six Russian Proton and Soyuz launches, along with extensive work by astronauts conducting spacewalks.
TESSERAE offers a different approach by seeking to reduce the need for transporting fully assembled structures and performing complex construction operations in orbit. However, the technology remains experimental, and further testing is necessary before it can be used to build operational habitats for astronauts.
If successful, the system could eventually help establish larger, expandable living and working spaces in orbit and support future missions to the Moon and Mars, marking a potential shift in how humanity constructs infrastructure beyond Earth.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
