Venturi Space has lifted the veil on Mona Luna, its first fully European-built lunar rover, a next-generation vehicle set to redefine Europe’s role in space exploration. The ambitious project, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) and CNES, aims to land Mona Luna at the Moon’s South Pole by 2030, with its development led from Toulouse by Venturi Space France.
As lunar ambitions intensify globally, Europe is staking its claim through Mona Luna—a 750kg, solar-powered, autonomous rover designed to withstand the extreme rigours of lunar night. Capable of reaching speeds up to 20 km/h and carrying a wide range of scientific payloads, the rover is also equipped to assist astronauts in emergency scenarios, according to ESA and CNES feasibility studies.
The vehicle will be launched aboard Ariane 6.4 and landed using the European Argonaut system. Its development is driven by a pan-European collaboration: onboard electronics, energy systems, and avionics will be built in Toulouse, while Venturi teams in Switzerland and Monaco are already producing hyper-deformable wheels and advanced battery systems.
Designed for science—and beyond
Though Mona Luna’s debut mission will be scientific in nature, future applications could include payload transport, in-situ resource utilisation—such as helium‑3 extraction—and even public engagement campaigns. This commercial vision echoes the early trajectory of Earth-based mobility industries, with the potential for long-term lunar logistics operations.
The rover’s visual design is the work of Sacha Lakic, whose blend of futurism and function reflects the vehicle’s dual role: to serve immediate scientific needs while pushing the envelope of European space technology.
A collaborative leap
Mona Luna builds on experience gained from Venturi’s collaboration with US-based Astrolab on the FLIP and FLEX rovers. The technical expertise drawn from those projects is now being channelled into creating a rover fully aligned with Europe’s strategic goals in space.
“We’re explorers,” said Gildo Pastor, President of Venturi Space. “Space is a new frontier, and Mona Luna is how we’re crossing into it.”
The unveiling of Mona Luna signals more than technological progress—it’s a clear step towards greater European autonomy in space, and a symbol of Monaco’s expanding footprint in the high-stakes realm of lunar exploration.
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Image source: Venturi