An image of the Argonaut and its arm, which will place material on the Moon to consolidate the human presence. Photo: Redwire

An image of the Argonaut and its arm, which will place material on the Moon to consolidate the human presence. Photo: Redwire

The American company Redwire has announced that the European Space Agency has placed an order with it for the robotic arm that will be used to place up to 1,200kg of equipment on the Moon. The arm will be designed at the company’s research centre in Luxembourg and will equip the Argonaut, a strategic lever for Europe.

“Redwire is proud to be leveraging its significant heritage in space robotics technology for ESA’s Argonaut mission, ensuring that it meets the highest standards of performance, reliability, and safety,” said Jaroslaw Jaworski, managing director of Redwire Space’s Luxembourg facility, in a  on 22 May 2024 announcing the signing of the contract between the US company--which has established its European headquarters in Luxembourg--and the European Space Agency. “As a leader in robotic arm development and with a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions for ambitious space exploration missions, Redwire’s robotic capabilities are poised to play a crucial role in future European space missions, contributing to lunar exploration and paving the way for advancements in space exploration technology.”

“The lunar robotic arm project that Redwire will be working on, here in Luxembourg, for ESA’s moon lander is not only a testimony of Luxembourg’s successful strategy in developing a thriving space ecosystem, but will also contribute to further position the country as a European hub for commercial space and for space resources in particular. We are looking forward to it,” commented Mathias Link, deputy director general of the Luxembourg Space Agency.

The announcement is of strategic importance. In 2022, the ESA council of ministers approved support for the Argonaut programme, formerly known as “EL3” for European Large Logistics Lander, a ten-tonne lander measuring 4.5m in diameter and 6m high, which will be able to carry up to 1,200kg of payload. Capable of landing to within 100m of its target, Argonaut will be launched by Ariane 6. Five Argonaut missions are scheduled, and ESA will be able to “invite” Nasa to consider the presence of Europeans in the next series of lunar landings, around 2030.

“The Manipulator for Argonaut Payload Needs and Unloading Support (Manus) system will be a crucial capability for Argonaut’s logistics operations on the lunar surface,” says the press release. “The Manus system will enable Argonaut’s surface logistics operations such as offloading, precise positioning and retrieval of objects, and positioning of the lander. Redwire will develop, breadboard, test and verify the functions of the Manus with the opportunity to compete for a follow-on contract.”

This article was first published in on Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano

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