Flight

Argonaut Mission 1

Name: Argonaut Mission 1
Start: 2030
Location: Lunar south pole

2030-2031 · Argonaut LDE · planned

ESAArgonaut

ESA Argonaut Lunar Descent Element (LDE) is Europe's cargo lander transport element, primed by Thales Alenia Space Italy with Thales Alenia Space France, Thales Alenia Space UK, OHB System AG, and Nammo Space (UK) (ESA consortium 20 Nov 2025).

European cargo lander (Argonaut LDE) soft landing with roughly 1500 kg class cargo at a south polar demonstration site for Argonaut Mission 1 / ArgoNET.

Stack

PrimeEuropean Space Agency (ESA)

VehicleArgonaut LDE

Launch vehicleAriane 64

SiteLunar south pole

Themes

Earth prep · AIT & integrationBuilding and qualifying the stack on Earth: assembly, integration, test, and payload hang before launch.

Vehicle systems & materialsEngines, tanks, seals, thermal protection, structure, electrical power, and avionics in the vehicle stack.

Lasers, mapping & navigationLidar, cameras, retroreflectors, and landing navigation.

Comms & dataLinks, relays, surface networks, and compute: moving data between Earth, orbit, and the surface.

LandersCommercial cargo landers and human landing systems.

SubsurfaceDrills, heat-flow probes, radar, ice mining, scoops: when listed on a flight.

Rovers & hoppersWhat moves after landing: scout rovers, hoppers, and crewed lunar terrain vehicles.

Tech demosHardware and software proving themselves in the real lunar environment before becoming standard kit.

Companies

Prime

European Space Agency (ESA)OHB System - LDE GNC, EPS, TT&C (+ LIDAR procurement)

Named on this flight

Thales Alenia SpaceOHB System - LDE GNC, EPS, TT&C (+ LIDAR procurement)

OHB System AGOHB System - LDE GNC, EPS, TT&C (+ LIDAR procurement)

RedwireRedwire Luxembourg MANUS robotic-arm breadboard (Argonaut path)

Named suppliers

Nammo UKNammo UK RELIANCE 6 kN main engine (Westcott)

MDA SpaceMDA Space UK LEIA 3D LiDAR (Argonaut HDA under OHB PATP)

Jobs

MDA Space UK LEIA 3D LiDAR (Argonaut HDA under OHB PATP)

MDA Space UK holds a Pre-Authorisation to Proceed (PATP) from OHB System AG (announced 21 Jul 2026, Farnborough) to deliver LEIA 3D LiDAR hazard-detection sensors for ESA Argonaut. · MDA Space · MDA Space

Nammo UK RELIANCE 6 kN main engine (Westcott)

Nammo UK supplies the RELIANCE 6 kN bipropellant main engine for the Argonaut Lunar Descent Element. · Nammo UK · Nammo

OHB System - LDE GNC, EPS, TT&C (+ LIDAR procurement)

OHB System AG is a core team member for Argonaut LDE guidance, navigation and control (GNC), electrical power systems (EPS), and telecommunications (TT&C), plus procurement of solar array, batteries, LIDAR, and a series of transponders (ESA consortium briefing). · OHB System AG · ESA

Redwire Luxembourg MANUS robotic-arm breadboard (Argonaut path)

Redwire's Luxembourg team, with Added Value Solutions and ESA support, developed, tested, and delivered the MANUS (Manipulator for Argonaut Payload Needs and Unloading Support) Breadboard Model to ESA (Redwire 21 May 2026). · Redwire · rdw.com

Thales Alenia Space France - LDE data handling / OBC

Thales Alenia Space in France designs, develops, and validates the Lunar Descent Element Data Handling Sub-System, including middleware software, and procures component equipment including on-board computers (ESA consortium briefing). · Thales Alenia Space · ESA

Thales Alenia Space Italy - Argonaut LDE prime / AIT

Thales Alenia Space in Italy is Lunar Descent Element prime contractor and end-to-end system integrator, including assembly, integration, and testing (ESA consortium briefing 20 Nov 2025). · Thales Alenia Space · ESA

Thales Alenia Space UK - LDE propulsion subsystem

Thales Alenia Space in the UK develops the Lunar Descent Element propulsion subsystem and procures main components, in particular propellant tanks and thrusters (ESA consortium briefing). · Thales Alenia Space · ESA

Cargo

LEIA 3D LiDAR hazard detection (MDA Space UK / OHB PATP)

3D LiDAR hazard detection and avoidance for Argonaut LDE landing under OHB procurement. · OHB System AG · MDA Space

Hardware

LEIAEuropean Space Agency (ESA)

Related flights

Chang'e-52020-11-23 · CNSA

CAPSTONE2022-06-28 · Advanced Space

Artemis I2022-11-16 · NASA

Chandrayaan-32023-07-14 · ISRO

Luna-252023-08-10 · Roscosmos

SLIM2023-09-07 · JAXA

Launch date

2030–2031

The public launch window as the source states it. No exact date is public.

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Sources

This is the public record. Companies and jobs a source named.

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