ESA’s first lunar rover rolls forward

MAGPIE, the Mission for Advanced Geophysics and Polar Ice Exploration, is ESA’s first lunar rover. Designed to operate for roughly 10 Earth days, the rover will explore the Moon’s south pole to detect and measure the presence of water and other volatiles and analyse the lunar subsurface geology. 

Equipped with a drill, volatile analyser, ground-penetrating radar and neutron detector, the rover is planned to launch in 2029 and will improve our understanding of the lunar environment and the resources it may contain – critical knowledge for the next phase of lunar exploration.

“The Moon’s south pole is a key destination for future exploration. By prospecting for water and other volatile resources, MAGPIE will provide critical knowledge for the next phase of sustainable lunar exploration,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration. “As ESA’s first lunar rover and first mission part of the Moon Explore initiative which aims at developing key capabilities in a more agile and efficient way, MAGPIE demonstrates a new approach to exploration. Combining ambitious scientific and technological objectives with a faster, more cost-effective development model, the mission brings together European expertise and international cooperation through our partnership with JAXA.”

“MAGPIE brings together some of Europe’s leading scientific and engineering expertise around a shared ambition for the Moon. We are proud to lead this consortium alongside ESA, combining commercial delivery with world-class science to investigate the lunar south pole while building Europe’s operational capability on the lunar surface. The knowledge and experience we build through MAGPIE will extend far beyond this mission, helping to lay the foundations for future lunar exploration missions globally,” said Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, CEO at ispace-Europe.

ESA has selected ispace-Europe as prime contractor to build, develop and fly MAGPIE. The rover is scheduled to fly aboard ispace’s Mission 4 lunar lander through a collaboration between ESA and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). 

As ESA’s first lunar small mission, MAGPIE pioneers a faster, lower-cost approach to exploration, enabling more frequent missions that accelerate innovation and the development of European capabilities for a sustainable future on the Moon. 

Stay tuned until October for more information on ESA’s small missions and other lunar endeavours.