JAKARTA Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo, has won a contract worth 862 million euros (around IDR 14.5 trillion) from the European Space Agency (ESA) to build a lunar lander. The project aims to support lunar exploration in the 2030s, according to the company's official statement on Thursday 30 January.
In the statement, Thales Alenia Space revealed that it will build a lunar lander named Argonaut designed for cargo delivery to the lunar surface. "This new element of the Artemis program will serve to support manned lunar exploration missions in the long term," said Thales CEO Alenia Space, Hervé Derrey, quoted by VOI from Reuters.
Derrey added that the moon will be a "stepping stone" for human missions towards deeper space, with Mars as its next destination. This move is in line with the long-term vision of international space exploration.
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The Argonaut mission is part of Europe's contribution to international efforts to return to the moon, particularly through the Artemis program which had been delayed. The program was founded by NASA during President Donald Trump's administration, with the aim of returning astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972.
Thales and Leonardo's cooperation in the Argonaut project demonstrates the importance of synergy in the European space sector. In October 2024, Leonardo called for a new space strategy with Thales and their main rival in satellite manufacturing, Airbus.
With this Argonaut project, Europe strengthens its role in lunar exploration, supports international missions, and accelerates efforts to develop innovative space technology. The project also affirms ESA's commitment to realizing the vision of human exploration to the moon and Mars in the future.
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