Agency
20/11/2025
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Two UK-based space companies have joined the industrial consortium developing the first lunar lander of the European Space Agency’s Argonaut programme.
Argonaut is integral to Europe’s autonomous, versatile and reliable access to the Moon. Starting with the first mission in 2030, Argonaut landers will be launched on Ariane 6 rockets, each delivering up to 1.5 tonnes of cargo to the Moon’s surface, from scientific instruments and rovers to vital resources such as food, water and air.
Today, at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Germany, Thales Alenia Space Italy – the prime contractor for Argonaut’s first lander – signed agreements with four new consortium members: Thales Alenia Space and Nammo in the UK, as well as Thales Alenia Space in France and OHB in Germany.
Thales Alenia Space UK is responsible for propulsion subsystem development and procuring components like propellant tanks, with Nammo designing and supplying the lunar lander’s main engine.
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “Congratulations to all the companies awarded contracts to develop Europe’s first lunar lander. It’s great to see Thales Alenia Space UK selected to deliver the propulsion systems, whilst Nammo UK’s role as the engine provider demonstrates the strength and capability of our growing space sector.”
You can read the full story on the expansion of the Argonaut family on the Human and Robotic Exploration pages of esa.int.
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