European Space Agency Accelerates Development of Unmanned Lander ‘Argonaut’ for Independent Lunar Exploration

The European Space Agency (ESA) is accelerating the development of its unmanned lunar lander ‘Argonaut,’ which aims for independent lunar exploration.

This lander development plan was finalized at the ESA Member States Ministerial Meeting held in 2022 and is currently actively underway.

The Argonaut lander is scheduled to be launched to the moon in 2031 using the Ariane 6 rocket.

According to recent information released by ESA, the Argonaut is designed to transport various cargo to the lunar surface, including infrastructure materials, exploration equipment, scientific instruments, and power generation equipment.

In particular, it can carry up to 2.1 tons of cargo and is being developed with precision flight technology to land within 100 meters of the targeted landing site.

ESA plans to conduct a total of five lunar explorations using the Argonaut lander in the 2030s.

The lander is composed of three main parts:

First, the ‘lunar descent element,’ responsible for the lander’s stable descent and landing.

Second, the ‘cargo platform element,’ where the customer’s cargo is loaded.

Third, the ‘payload element,’ which carries the lander’s own equipment.

Additionally, in May, ESA signed a contract with the American space infrastructure manufacturer Redwire to develop a prototype robotic arm to be installed on the Argonaut.

This robotic arm will be used for loading, retrieving, and adjusting the position of cargo and will be a crucial component of the Argonaut.

The development of the Argonaut by ESA is seen as a significant step in strengthening Europe’s independent lunar exploration capabilities and enhancing its status in the international space exploration field.

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