ESA funds and leads the development of a variety of payloads and experiments that help us understand the Earth-Moon system and prepare for future exploration activities. If not part of an agency-led mission, these payloads hitch a ride to the Moon aboard spacecraft operated by international or commercial partners. In the rapidly changing landscape of the (commercial) space sector, such hosted payloads give ESA the flexibility to more quickly achieve critical science objectives.
An important example of a hosted payload is Prospect, a comprehensive suite of hardware that will drill into the lunar surface in search for very cold samples of regolith. Analysing these samples using ovens and a suite of sensors, Prospect will search for volatiles like water ice to demonstrate the potential of in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU). As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) programme, it will reach the lunar surface aboard Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander in 2027.
