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IT Home reported on July 23 that the development tender issued by the European Space Agency (ESA) showed that the "Argo" lunar lander under development is scheduled to be launched in 2031, ushering in a new era of Europe's autonomous lunar landing.

The robotic lander is called Argonaut and is expected to be launched on the Ariane 6 rocket. It is worth mentioning that the Ariane 6 rocket successfully completed its maiden flight on July 9 after several delays.

According to IT Home,ESA hopes to send cargo and scientific instruments to the Moon multiple times.According to the mission description, the lander will be able to deliver up to 2,100 kg of cargo, including food and water for future astronauts, to any location on the lunar surface within 100 meters. Argo can land on almost any area on the moon, without restrictions.

ESA plans to carry out five Argonaut missions in the 2030s, each lasting from one week to one month from launch to landing. The lunar lander consists of three main parts: the lunar descent assembly responsible for flying to the moon and landing; the payload, which can be a rover, scientific instruments or other equipment; and the cargo platform that serves as an interface between the other two components.

The European Spaceflight website reports that ESA has completed research on the so-called "European Lunar Charging Station", a system that will be launched on the Argo spacecraft and serve as a refueling station on the moon.