ESA Funds Development of Europe's First Lunar Ice Rover

The European Space Agency has awarded ispace-EUROPE S.A. a €65 million contract for Phase 2 of the MAGPIE mission. This funding will support the full development of Europe's inaugural lunar polar ice exploration rover, which aims to study water ice and other volatiles in the Moon's south polar region. The mission's full development phase began on July 1, 2026.