MAGPIE on the Moon

MAGPIE is ESA's first rover on the Moon. Designed to operate for roughly 10 Earth days, the small rover will explore the lunar south pole to detect and measure the presence of water and other volatiles and analyse its subsurface geology.

Equipped with a drill, volatile analyser, ground-penetrating radar and neutron detector, the rover is planned to launch in 2029 and will improve our understanding of the lunar environment and the resources it may contain – critical knowledge for the next phase of lunar exploration.

MAGPIE, short for Mission for Advanced Geophysics and Polar Ice Exploration, is built by prime contractor ispace and will fly to the Moon on their Mission 4 lunar lander in 2029.

As ESA’s first lunar small mission, MAGPIE pioneers a faster, lower-cost approach to exploration, enabling more frequent missions that accelerate innovation and the development of European capabilities for a sustainable future on the Moon.