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| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Operator | ESA | ispace |
| Prime contractor | Thales Alenia Space (prime) | Draper |
| Status | In development | In development |
| Customer | ESA | NASA-CLPS |
| Launch date | 2031 (NET) — ArgoNET operational mission | 2027 (NET) |
| Landing date | — | — |
| Landing site | Lunar south pole region (specific site TBD) | Schrödinger Basin, lunar far side near south pole |
| Payload | Up to 2,100 kg payload (~10,000 kg launch mass) (2025-01-30) | 300 kg surface payload capacity (2026-05-28) |
| Contract value | €862M (2025-01-30) | $73M (2022-07-21) |
| Outcome | Europe's first dedicated lunar lander program. Designed to deliver cargo, infrastructure, and surface assets supporting Artemis-era operations. Argonaut Mission 1 demonstration NET 2030; first operational mission ArgoNET in 2031. | Pivoted from Series-2 to APEX 1.0 architecture for higher payload capacity and far-side comms via two relay satellites. Far-side polar landing supports NASA's Endurance-A sample-return precursor science. |
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Underlying dataset: GET /api/moon/landers. Methodology: /moon/methodology.