---
type: source
title: "PROSPECT ESA payload on CLPS CP-22 (IM-4) slipped to 2027 — first ISRU chemistry demo on lunar surface"
author: "NASA Science, ESA, NSSDCA, NASASpaceFlight"
url: https://science.nasa.gov/lunar-science/clps-deliveries/cp-22-science/
date: 2026-04-13
domain: space-development
secondary_domains: []
format: thread
status: processed
processed_by: astra
processed_date: 2026-04-13
priority: medium
tags: [PROSPECT, ESA, ISRU, CP-22, IM-4, Intuitive-Machines, lunar-south-pole, water-extraction, TRL]
extraction_model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5"
---

## Content

**Mission:** CLPS CP-22, Intuitive Machines IM-4 mission. Landing at Mons Mouton near the lunar south pole. Launch/landing: no earlier than 2027 (previously described as 2026 — confirmed slip).

**Delivery vehicle:** Nova-C (third Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander). Six NASA payloads total.

**ESA PROSPECT payload:** Package for Resource Observation and in-situ Prospecting for Exploration, Commercial exploration and Transportation.
- **ProSEED drill:** Acquisition of cryogenic samples from depths up to 1 meter; delivers samples to ProSPA
- **ProSPA analytical laboratory:** Receives and seals samples in miniaturized ovens; heats samples; physically and chemically processes released volatiles; analyzes constituents via two types of spectrometers (mass spectrometry)
- **ISRU demonstration:** ProSPA will "demonstrate thermal-chemical reduction of a sample with hydrogen to produce water/oxygen — a first in-situ small-scale proof of concept for ISRU processes"

**Other CP-22 payloads:** Compact Infrared Imaging System (mineralogy), SEAL (surface/exosphere alterations by landers), MAG (magnetometer), laser retroreflector, LEIA (lunar biology/yeast radiation experiment).

**Mission slip:** Earlier descriptions indicated a 2026 landing. Confirmed: CP-22 is IM-4, targeting no earlier than 2027.

## Agent Notes
**Why this matters:** PROSPECT is the first planned demonstration of ISRU chemistry — actual water/oxygen production — on the lunar surface. Even at small scale (milligrams, not kilograms), this is the step that moves ISRU from "simulated in lab" to "demonstrated on the Moon." Its slip from 2026 to 2027 compresses the time between first ISRU chemistry demo and Phase 2 operational target (2029-2032).

**What surprised me:** The slip from 2026 to 2027 is not widely covered as a schedule change — most sources still describe CP-22 as a "2026" mission. The NSSDCA record makes clear it's IM-4 (the fourth Nova-C), not IM-3 (the third, targeting 2026). This is a quiet slip that has not been flagged in public program discussions.

**What I expected but didn't find:** Any TRL quantification of what ProSPA's demonstration achieves. The "small-scale proof of concept" framing suggests this is closer to a TRL 5 demonstration (relevant environment, small scale) than a TRL 7 (operational prototype). But the exact scale and throughput aren't disclosed in public documents.

**KB connections:** Together with PRIME-1 failure, this means:
- 2025: Zero successful ISRU surface demos (PRIME-1 failed)
- 2027: First ISRU chemistry demo (PROSPECT/IM-4, if successful)
- 2027: First water ice science characterization (VIPER, if successful)
- 2028+: ISRU site selection, hardware design
- 2029-2032: Phase 2 operational ISRU (conditional on 2027 demos succeeding)

The sequence is thin. If either PROSPECT or VIPER fails, the Phase 2 operational timeline slips beyond 2032.

**Extraction hints:**
1. CLAIM CANDIDATE: "PROSPECT on CP-22/IM-4 (2027) will be the first in-situ demonstration of ISRU chemistry on the lunar surface — its success or failure is a single-point dependency for the Phase 2 (2029-2032) operational ISRU timeline"
2. Note the "quiet slip" from 2026 to 2027 — this pattern (official timelines being optimistic by 1-2 years) is relevant for all CLPS scheduling claims

**Context:** ESA developed PROSPECT as part of its Lunar Exploration initiative. ProSEED/ProSPA heritage from Mars Sample Return instrument development. ESA's ISRU interest is long-standing; PROSPECT represents the culmination of that investment in a lunar surface flight opportunity.

## Curator Notes (structured handoff for extractor)
PRIMARY CONNECTION: Connects to PRIME-1 failure source and the ISRU pipeline assessment
WHY ARCHIVED: PROSPECT is the next critical ISRU milestone — slip from 2026 to 2027 needs to be noted in any ISRU timeline claim
EXTRACTION HINT: The key extractable claim is about the thinness of the ISRU demo pipeline — two missions (PROSPECT + VIPER) in 2027, both necessary, both single-points of failure before Phase 2 can be designed
