Argo finalises water-powered lunar delivery deal with ispace

(SpaceEnergy) ispace and Argo Space have finalised a contract for Argo’s water-powered Argonaut spacecraft to deliver ispace’s first Lunar Connect communications satellite to lunar orbit.

The definitive agreement, announced on 17 September, converts an agreement announced in March into a contracted mission and clears ispace Mission 2.5 for launch as early as 2027.

Argo will use its Argonaut space logistics vehicle to transport the Alpine satellite to lunar orbit. The company is developing Argonaut as a refuellable spacecraft powered by water, initially launched from Earth and potentially sourced from the Moon in future.

Alpine is intended to become the first orbital spacecraft in ispace’s planned Lunar Connect constellation, which is designed to provide communications, positioning, observation and space situational awareness services around the Moon. ispace expects the constellation eventually to comprise at least five satellites, with the remaining spacecraft targeted for deployment by 2030.

“This mission allows us to deploy our first Lunar Connect satellite and deliver communications and positioning services around the Moon,” ispace-U.S. chief executive Elizabeth Kryst said.