Argonaut lunar lander family

The industrial consortium building the Argonaut Lunar Descent Element.

ESA's Argonaut lunar lander programme represents 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 exploration-enabling cargo to the Moon’s surface, from scientific instruments and rovers to vital resources for astronauts such as food, water and air.

On 20 November 2025 at ESA's European Astronaut Centre near Cologne, Germany, Thales Alenia Space Italy - the prime contractor for Argonaut's first lander - signed agreements with Thales Alenia Space in France, OHB in Germany, and Thales Alenia Space and Nammo in the United Kingdom.

The industrial team for the Argonaut Lunar Descent Element brings together expertise from across Europe: 

• Thales Alenia Space, Italy: prime contractor and system integrator, leading the consortium building the lander and in charge of assembling and testing the structure. 

• Thales Alenia Space, France: developing and validating the data-handling subsystem and on-board computers. 

• OHB System AG, Germany: providing guidance, navigation and control systems as well as telecommunications, electrical power systems and key hardware such as solar arrays and batteries. 

• Thales Alenia Space, United Kingdom: responsible for the propulsion subsystem development and procuring major components such as propellant tanks. 

• Nammo, United Kingdom: designing and supplying the lunar lander’s main engine.