Thales Alenia Space has secured a €862 million ($897 million) contract to build a lunar lander for the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Artemis program. The Argonaut lunar lander will be delivered in the 2030s, with the primary goal of facilitating long-duration manned lunar exploration missions.
As part of this mission, the moon will serve as a stepping stone for human missions to deeper space, with Mars being the next destination. Thales Alenia Space’s CEO Hervé Derrey stated that the new element of the program aims to support international efforts to return to the moon.
The Argonaut mission is Europe’s contribution to this effort, which was established by NASA during President Donald Trump’s administration in 2019. The joint venture between Thales and Leonardo will work on building the lunar lander, with Italy’s Leonardo playing a key role in developing the space strategy alongside Thales.
Source: https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/THALES-ALENIA-SPACE-ESA-DEALS-dc29cae2-6c32-4f39-9c5b-267a26fbc79d