ispace-EUROPE Secures €65M ESA Contract for MAGPIE Lunar Rover

ispace-EUROPE Secures €65M ESA Contract for MAGPIE Lunar Rover

ispace-EUROPE has been awarded a €65 million contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to lead the development and execution of the MAGPIE mission. Serving as mission prime, ispace-EUROPE will oversee the lifecycle of Europe's first lunar polar ice exploration rover, from initial design and payload integration to lunar surface operations.

Set to launch in 2029 aboard ispace's Mission 4 lander, MAGPIE will explore the Moon's south polar region. Its main objective is to investigate volatile deposits, assess water ice stability, and analyze regolith properties. These scientific missions represent the groundwork for future resource prospecting and enabling a sustained human presence on the lunar surface.

The MAGPIE mission embodies a model for cooperation in space exploration, resulted by a partnership between ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, CEO of ispace-EUROPE, noted that the contract demonstrates ESA’s commitment to a new model for small, agile exploration missions that combines commercial delivery, scientific ambition, and international collaboration.