Nammo UK has been officially selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Thales Alenia Space to supply the main engine for the Argonaut Lunar Lander, a flagship mission that will support NASA’s Artemis programme. The award marks a major step in Europe’s efforts to return to the lunar surface and strengthens the UK’s position in advanced space propulsion technologies.
ESA Confirms Nammo as Main Engine Supplier
The announcement was made during a signing ceremony at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, attended by senior leadership from ESA, Thales Alenia Space, OHB System AG, and Nammo UK. Nammo will provide its high-performance 6kN RELIANCE bi-propellant engine, developed at its facility in Westcott, Buckinghamshire. The engine is engineered to deliver precise lunar descent and landing capabilities for Europe’s first dedicated lunar lander.
Supporting the Artemis Lunar Exploration Architecture
ESA’s Argonaut Lunar Lander will support NASA’s Artemis programme, which aims to re-establish a sustained human presence on the Moon by 2031. The lander is designed to carry critical supplies—including food, water, scientific instruments, and communications infrastructure—to support international lunar operations and long-term exploration objectives.
Robert Selby, Vice President of Nammo Space, described the selection as a defining moment for European propulsion development, noting that the achievement reflects the company’s growing expertise and capability in deep-space systems.
A Major Boost for the UK Space Sector
Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, called the selection a significant milestone for the UK’s space industry. He highlighted that the RELIANCE engine, developed at the Westcott Space Cluster, continues the region’s longstanding legacy in rocket propulsion and supports the creation of highly skilled engineering jobs. The system’s design is expected to support a range of future international missions.
Apollo-Inspired Engineering for Next-Generation Lunar Missions
The RELIANCE engine incorporates a throttleable design enabled by a pintle injector, a technology inspired by systems used during NASA’s Apollo programme. Its integrated engine controller provides high-precision manoeuvring essential for lunar surface operations.
Using hypergolic propellants and leveraging Nammo’s heritage from the proven LEROS engine family, the new engine combines reliability with advanced mission control capabilities required for interplanetary and lunar lander operations.
Building on a Legacy of Flight-Proven Propulsion
Nammo UK continues a strong track record of powering successful space missions. Notable programmes include NASA’s JUNO spacecraft and Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander—the first commercial lander successfully delivered in 2025. Nammo also recently supported Astroscale’s ADRAS-J mission, which captured the world’s first close-up imagery of orbital debris.
Expanding European Space Capabilities
Nammo UK is part of the wider Nammo Group, an international aerospace and defence organisation with propulsion operations across the UK, Norway, and Ireland. The company showcased its RELIANCE engine earlier this month at Space Tech Expo Europe, one of the continent’s largest space industry events attended by more than 10,000 visitors.
