A European Space Agency-led mission will attempt to drill into the Moon's surface for the first time in 2027, targeting water ice near the lunar South Pole. The Prospect project, developed by Leonardo Space Division, will deploy a drill and miniature laboratory to collect and analyze subsurface samples. Christian Panza, the mission's technical lead, confirmed engineers have completed hardware testing using a drill mockup deployed from a panel simulating the flight configuration. Conditions at the South Pole, characterized by extreme cold and permanently shadowed craters, present unique challenges for excavation due to abrasive regolith layers.

The drill is designed to penetrate up to one metre while simultaneously scanning for water ice signatures. Extracted samples will be heated to approximately 1,000 °C in an onboard laboratory to release trapped volatiles for analysis. This process aims to determine whether water exists in accessible quantities and identify its geological origins. Unlike resource extraction efforts, the mission focuses on scientific validation of subsurface composition to support future exploration strategies.

Prospect will launch aboard Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The mission represents a technical milestone for European space capabilities, seeking to validate drilling methods that preserve sample integrity for precise laboratory analysis. Success could influence how future lunar bases utilize in-situ resources, though the project emphasizes research over extraction. ESA has indicated additional updates about the mission will be released in forthcoming communications.