Europe signs contract for its 1st moon lander, Argonaut

image via Space.com

February 6, 2025, 6:00 PM

• •The European Space Agency has signed a contract for a moon lander that's expected to last for years in the harsh environment of the lunar surface.
• •The European Space Agency handed Thales Alenia Space a contract worth nearly $900 million to build the Argonaut Lunar Descent Element, which will transport and land the spacecraft on the moon.
• •Argonaut will have a payload capacity of 4,400 pounds (2,000 kilograms). Cargo could include supplies for astronauts, mobile spacecraft such as rovers, science and technology payloads and elements for lunar bases.

The European Space Agency has signed a contract for a moon lander that's expected to last for years in the harsh environment of the lunar surface. The lander, called Argonaut, is designed to deliver supplies, infrastructure and payloads to the moon. It could survive for five years on the lunar surface.

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