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MDA Space To Supply Lunar Landing Sensors For ESA’s Argonaut Mission

Our Bureau - : Jul 23, 2026 - : 1:30 pm

Canadian space technology company MDA Space announced at the Farnborough International Airshow 2026 that it has signed a pre-authorization agreement with OHB System AG to supply key lunar landing sensors for the European Space Agency's (ESA) Argonaut spacecraft.

Under the agreement, MDA Space UK will provide two flight units of its LiDAR for Extra-terrestrial Imaging Applications (LEIA) sensor, a three-dimensional laser imaging system designed to enable autonomous lunar landings by mapping the surface, identifying hazards and selecting safe landing sites.

The LEIA sensors will support the Argonaut program, ESA's planned cargo lander that is being developed to transport scientific equipment, technology demonstrations and other payloads to the Moon.

The agreement marks another step in Europe's efforts to expand its lunar exploration capabilities as international space agencies prepare for sustained missions to the Moon.

At the airshow, MDA Space also highlighted its work in Space Domain Awareness (SDA), dynamic space operations and on-orbit servicing—capabilities that are becoming increasingly important as orbital activity grows and concerns over space security intensify.

Andrew Stanniland, managing director of MDA Space UK, participated in a panel discussion on dynamic space operations, focusing on spacecraft maneuvering, proximity operations and in-orbit servicing. The discussion also examined how Space Domain Awareness technologies help operators detect, track and interpret activity in orbit, improving decision-making and mission resilience in an increasingly congested and contested space environment.

MDA Space also hosted ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher at its exhibition during the Farnborough Airshow, where government agencies and aerospace companies showcased technologies supporting future commercial, civil and defense space missions.

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