Overview
- ESA and Thales Alenia Space presented the Argonaut program and its industrial team at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne.
- Thales Alenia Space Italy is prime contractor, with TAS France responsible for data processing, TAS UK for propulsion, OHB for control, power and telecom, and Nammo supplying the main engine.
- The uncrewed cargo lander is planned to deliver up to 1,500 kg to the lunar surface on an Ariane 64 launch in 2030, targeting the Moon’s south polar region.
- Key specifications include a height of about 6 meters, 4.5-meter diameter, roughly 10,000 kg launch mass, at least 250-meter landing accuracy, survival through a 14-day lunar night, and a five-year surface lifetime.
- Development is underway under an €862 million ESA–Thales Alenia Space contract, with payload selections and near-term funding decisions pending at the Nov. 26–27 ministerial meeting in Bremen.