Redwire Corporation announced that it has been awarded a contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a robotic arm prototype for the agency's Argonaut Lunar Lander, which will establish the capability for Europe to land 1,500-1,800 kg of cargo, infrastructure, and scientific instruments on the lunar surface. The Manipulator for Argonaut Payload Needs and Unloading Support (MANUS) system will be a crucial capability for Argonaut's logistics operations on the lunar surface. The MANUS system will enable Argonaut's surface logistics operations such as offloading, precise positioning and retrieval of objects, and positioning of the lander.

Redwire will develop, breadboard, test and verify the functions of the MANUS with the opportunity to compete for a follow-on contract. MANUS will be developed at Redwire's Luxembourg facility, which currently develops Redwire's STAARK robotic arm, a modular and easily customized robotic system designed for various on-orbit robotics applications.