A crane concept intended to unload future lunar landers has undergone scaled testing at the European Space Agency’s Planetary Robotics Laboratory. ESA’s 22 October report describes the Loader project involving Romania’s COMOTI institute and Initium Space.
The eventual design aims to handle loads of up to 1,000 kilograms at a reach of six metres. The tested model lifted 30 kilograms on Earth, which ESA compares with a little over 180 kilograms under the Moon’s weaker gravity. It is a smaller demonstrator, not a full-size tonne-lifting trial.
A larger version and further refinement are still needed. The project addresses transferring cargo from a lander to the lunar surface; the report does not describe a crane already operating on the Moon.
Context
Payload capacity and the tested lifting mass describe different stages of development and should remain clearly separated.
Sources
Original summary based on the sources above, checked for the October 24, 2026 edition. Reference dates are shown separately from the edition date.