Moon

The Moon is a destination that is central to ESA’s exploration programme. Starting in 2027, the assembly of the Gateway station in lunar orbit will mark the first step in establishing a permanent human presence in space beyond Earth orbit. The station will also serve as a base for a wide range of exploration-focused and exploration-enabled research, paving the way for future mission deeper into the Solar System.

Furthermore, ESA is a major partner in NASA’s Artemis programme, which will bring astronauts back to the Moon for first time in more than 50 years. Thanks to the agency’s critical contributions, ESA has also secured seats for the first Europeans to venture to the Moon, providing opportunities for crew-tended surface science.

Beyond Gateway and Artemis, ESA’s lunar exploration roadmap contains a diverse portfolio of missions led by the agency, international partners, or commercial entities. The Argonaut lander will play a central role and be able to carry a large complement of assets to the lunar surface, including rovers and stationary payloads. It is complemented by smaller agency-led missions (surface and orbital) and by hosted payloads on commercial missions.