iSpace main ESA’s first lunar polar ice exploration rover mission ⋆ Electronics Weekly

iSpace-Europe and the European House Company (ESA) have formally agreed the MAGPIE mission, Europe’s first lunar polar ice exploration rover.

MAGPIE stands for the “Mission for Superior Geophysics and Polar Ice Exploration”.

The contract, value €65 million, covers rover and payload growth, and the manufacturing, testing, transportation of the rover to the lunar floor.

MAGPIE will examine the Moon’s south polar area, particularly, the distribution and stability of water ice and different lunar chemical parts and compounds.

The deliberate launch date is 2029. And the rover will carry a drill, risky analyser, ground-penetrating radar and neutron detector. Its design might be to function for roughly 10 Earth days to discover the Moon’s south pole.

Word that iSpace-Europe would be the prime contractor, with contributors from Germany, the UK, Czech Republic and Norway additionally becoming a member of the consortium.

iSpace

iSpace highlighted its significance for future lunar explorations.

“MAGPIE brings collectively a few of Europe’s main scientific and engineering experience round a shared ambition for the Moon,” mentioned Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, CEO at ispace-Europe, which received the ESA contract in July.

“We’re proud to steer this consortium alongside ESA, combining business supply with world-class science to research the lunar south pole whereas constructing Europe’s operational functionality on the lunar floor. The data and expertise we construct by way of MAGPIE will prolong far past this mission, serving to to put the foundations for future lunar exploration missions globally.”

ESA

For its half, the ESA additionally acknowledged the function of the Japanese area company, JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration).

To be exact, iSpace-Europe is a subsidiary of its Japanese father or mother firm. And a grant in the direction of the mission has been awarded from Japan’s House Technique Fund Program administered by the JAXA.

Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, commented:

“The Moon’s south pole is a key vacation spot for future exploration. By prospecting for water and different risky assets, MAGPIE will present vital data for the following part of sustainable lunar exploration.”

“As ESA’s first lunar rover and first mission a part of the Moon Discover initiative…MAGPIE demonstrates a brand new strategy to exploration. Combining bold scientific and technological targets with a quicker, less expensive growth mannequin, the mission brings collectively European experience and worldwide cooperation by way of our partnership with JAXA.”

The contract was signed on the ESA House for Inspiration 2026 occasion in Copenhagen this week. And it’s truly part 2 of the settlement.

See all our ESA content material.