MAGPIE team at signing ceremony

Today, during a signing ceremony at the Space for Inspiration event in Copenhagen, Denmark, the European Space Agency (ESA) and ispace-Europe celebrated the implementation of MAGPIE, set to be the first European rover on the Moon.

MAGPIE, the Mission for Advanced Geophysics and Polar Ice Exploration, will explore the Moon’s south polar region to investigate the presence of water and other volatile resources, and study the lunar subsurface geology. Planned for launch in 2029, the mission will provide scientific knowledge to support future exploration of the Moon.

ESA has selected ispace-Europe, the Luxembourg-based European entity of ispace, as prime contractor for Phase 2 of MAGPIE. The contract covers the full delivery of the mission, including rover and payload development, manufacturing, testing, transportation to the lunar surface and mission operations. MAGPIE is scheduled to fly aboard ispace’s Mission 4 lunar lander through cooperation between ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).