Manufacturer | Thales Alenia Space, Redwire |
---|---|
Operator | European Space Agency |
Applications | Lunar payload delivery and support |
Specifications | |
Spacecraft type | Uncrewed lunar lander |
Launch mass | 10,000 kg (22,000 lb) [1] |
Payload capacity | up to 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) [1] |
Dimensions | |
Length | 6 m (20 ft) |
Diameter | 4.5 m (15 ft) |
Production | |
Status | proposal selection |
Built | none |
Maiden launch | 2031 (planned) |
Related spacecraft | |
Launch vehicle | Ariane 64 |
Argonaut [2] or European Large Logistics Lander (EL3) is a class of lunar landers designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) in partnership with Thales Alenia Space to deliver payloads to the surface of the Moon. [3] The lander is being designed with a versatile set of uses in mind, including use as a power station, support for a rover, cargo delivery, and infrastructure delivery. It is envisioned to launch on an Ariane 64 launch vehicle. [4] [5] [6] The Argonaut lander will consist of the descent element, cargo platform and payload. Capable of delivering up to 2,100 kg (4,600 lb), the craft will reportedly be able to land with an accuracy of 50–100 meters. [7]
ArgoNET will be the first operational flight of the programme, planned for launch in 2031. It will deliver navigation, energy, and telecommunications infrastructure and will serve as a selenodetic reference station for the Moonlight satellite constellation in order to improve navigation capabilities around the lunar south pole. [8]
If approved, the Astrophysical Lunar Observatory (ALO) will be a low-frequency radio interferometer on the far side of the Moon consisting of several hundred antennas. The observatory is expected to be deployed by Argonaut around 2035. [9] [10] [11]