Europe Must Show Tenacity to Send Its First Rover to the Moon
Moon Mission Misfire: Europe Takes a Hit
In a drama that feels more like a space‑faring soap opera than a rocket launch, the Tenacious rover—an ambitious European-made probe—was lost in the black‑hole of the lunar surface. It was supposed to be the first rover made in Europe to touch the Moon, but the lander it rode on vanished during the touchdown.
What Went Wrong?
Mission controllers quickly ruled out a comeback: comms are likely gone forever. The end of the HAKUTO‑R program marks its second wipe‑out, bookending a crash two years ago that already dented hopes.
Impact on Japan and Europe
- Japan – ispace, the publicly listed company behind HAKUTO‑R and the missing Resilience lander, feels the sting.
- Europe – The European Space Agency (ESA) backed the mission, and the rover was designed, built, and tested by ispace‑EUROPE in Luxembourg.
Luxembourg: A Tiny Powerhouse
Luxembourg wasn’t just a home base; it was the catalyst. In 2017, SpaceResources.lu set up a law that lets companies own resources extracted from space, making the country the second global player after the U.S.
Had Tenacious Made It
Imagine the rover rolling around the Moon, filming the alien terrain, and hauling a haul of regolith (lunar soil) to hand over to NASA. It would have turned a contract into a test‑drive for commercial rock harvesting.
“This will help us figure out how to do large‑scale space resource commercialization and scale it globally,” admitted Julien Lamamy, ispace‑EUROPE CEO, just before the launch.
A First for Europe
Securing a NASA contract was a milestone for any European firm. It wasn’t until we nudged Lamamy that he revealed the 50‑strong, 30‑nationality crew that built this tiny rover. Talk about a cosmopolitan dream team!
Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda
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Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda
Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise.
Space Meets Earth: ispace’s Bold Leap into Lunar Mining
October 27‑29, 2025 – San Francisco (Register now! )
When Laurent Lamamy, the brains behind ispace, drops his résumé in front of an eager audience, you’d expect him to brag about his stints at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and MIT. Instead, he modestly says he had to “channel his inner American” just to explain how his team brought the moon’s regolith back to next‑door brilliance. Turns out, ispace thrives on collaboration, not ego.
Think Outside the Moon
The lightweight scoop for NASA’s regolith collection? It was built by Epiroc, a Swedish mining company. Lamamy’s honest answer: “We could’ve done it ourselves, but we saw a golden chance to involve a terrestrial industry in our space dreams. The more folks on board, the cooler the result.”
Luxembourg: The Space Hub on Turtle‑Shell Ground
Back at home, the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA) has been quietly turning the country into a hub for space innovation.
- Founded in 2018, LSA’s mission has expanded from the “niche” to “mainstream” with the 2023 Space Resources Law.
- Now, companies ripple downstream, weaving the space value chain—think of Magna Petra, a startup mining Helium‑3 from the lunar surface.
- Luxembourg’s Minister of Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, proudly announced the successful launch of ispace‑Europe’s rover.
The Economics Behind the Exploration
Financial backing is the propellant behind this grand vision.
- ispace’s Tenacious rover received co‑funding from the LSA via an ESA contract tied to the Luxembourg National Space Program (LuxIMPULSE).
- Deloitte’s spot‑check of Luxembourg’s space scene shows generous tax breaks and direct aid for both startups and multinational players.
What This Means for You
Sure, the moon’s stick‑wormed rocks might seem far‑fetched, but the reality is this: space tech is getting fused with everyday industries on Earth. The hope? New markets that bounce between the cosmos and our local hands. The result? An integrated space sector that is as dynamic as it is daring.
So whether you’re a dreamer, a science nerd, or someone just curious about how a Swedish mining company can help collect moon dust, the answer is simple: the future of space is a collaborative adventure—let’s grab it together.
An unusual payload
Meet Tenacious, NASA’s Tiny Lunar Trailblazer
Picture a rover that weighs just five kilos—that’s half what NASA’s beloved Sojourner carried around back when Mars was still a kids‑game. That size is no accident; the engineering crew, led by Lamamy, chose the lightest, smartest parts so the rover would cost less to crank out and cost even less to send over the Moon’s dusty plains.
Why All the Cut‑Throat Weight?
- Mass‑efficient components: tiny gears, micro‑electronics, a helium‑filled battery pack.
- Power‑efficient systems: solar panels that fit in a thumb‑print, a battery that trips over a candle flame.
- Smaller payload: less than the size of a loaf of bread, but still capable of sprucing up the Moon.
Short and sweet, the rover can take up to a one‑kilogram load, but it’s all about quality over quantity. Half the mass, half the cost—pretty sweet, right?
The “Moonhouse”—A Tiny Red Cottage on the Lunar Surface
Included in the Resilience mission payload was a miniature red house. Don’t mistake it for a toy – it’s a solid sculpture crafted by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg, born from his dream in 1999 for a lunar homestead.
“It’s not just about science or the politics of space,” Genberg says. “It’s about reminding us of the big things we all share—our humanity, our imagination, and that nagging longing for ‘home.’ Imagine a red house staring back at what Carl Sagan called “The Pale Blue Dot.” That’s what ‘Moonhouse’ feels like.”
A Test Drive on Earth
Lamamy’s team didn’t just leave it on autopilot. Their test labs stretched from Luxembourg to the Canary Islands. They hooked up cameras, practiced launches, dropped it on simulated regolith, and got a selfie‑angle down. By the time the rover hit the Moon, the crew could trust that the little house would land neatly and get a‑bandit photo in the perfect spot.
Why the Mission Was More Than Numbers
Some folks in NASA may have seen the Moonhouse as a whimsical add‑on. Lamamy, however, sees it as a paradigm shift. He’s excited that lunar exploration isn’t just a science or a marketplace fight— it’s an invitation for artists, entrepreneurs, teachers, and anyone with a dream.
More on the story: Instructions from ispace, the flight‑up house’s current status, and the eagerly awaited launch teaser were updated as the mission’s timeline rolled forward.