The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between France’s Thales and Italy’s Leonardo, a nearly $900 million contract to develop and deliver the Lunar Descent Element (LDE). The LDE will be used in the ESA’s Argonaut cargo lander for missions to the Moon starting in the 2030s.
The Argonaut lander has a capacity of approximately two metric tons of cargo and is expected to support commercial European exploration of the lunar south pole. It also faces competition from NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS) landers, which have a much higher capacity but will be used for future Artemis missions.
Thales Alenia Space CEO Hervé Derrey stated that the new LDE element will enhance European autonomy in lunar exploration and support long-duration human missions. The lander can carry supplies for astronauts, deploy rovers, host technology demonstrations, and accommodate a telescope or power station.
The company emphasizes Argonaut’s versatility, with an adaptable interface designed to support various missions. While Thales Alenia Space is the prime contractor for LDE development, overall mission responsibility will be determined through a separate procurement process in the future.
Source: https://spacenews.com/europe-awards-900-million-contract-for-argonaut-lunar-lander-development