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| Attribute | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | ESA | SpaceX | ISRO |
| Prime contractor | Thales Alenia Space (prime) | SpaceX | ISRO |
| Status | In development | In development | In development |
| Customer | ESA | NASA-HLS | ISRO |
| Launch date | 2031 (NET) — ArgoNET operational mission | 2027 (NET — Artemis III) | 2027–2028 (NET) |
| Landing date | — | — | — |
| Landing site | Lunar south pole region (specific site TBD) | Lunar south pole (NASA-curated candidate region near 84-90°S) | Near Mons Mouton, lunar south pole |
| Payload | Up to 2,100 kg payload (~10,000 kg launch mass) (2025-01-30) | ~100 tonnes to lunar surface (sustained variant target) (2024-04-16) | Up to 3 kg lunar sample return (2026-02-06) |
| Contract value | €862M (2025-01-30) | $2.89B + $1.15B Option B = $4.04B total (2022-11-15) | — |
| 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. | Selected April 2021 as sole HLS provider for Artemis III. Architecture requires Super Heavy launch + multiple Starship tanker refueling flights in LEO + transit to NRHO + rendezvous with Orion (SLS). NASA OIG IG-26-004 (March 2026) flagged crew-rescue capability as open risk. October 2025: NASA acting administrator Sean Duffy reopened Artemis III lander contract to competition due to Starship development pace. | India's first lunar sample-return mission. Five modules launched on two LVM3 vehicles; requires both Earth-orbit and lunar-orbit docking — first-time capabilities for ISRO. Architecture sanctioned by Government of India September 2024. |
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Underlying dataset: GET /api/moon/landers. Methodology: /moon/methodology.