Argo Space Bets on Water to Power the Next Space Economy

What if the next spacecraft could refuel itself with water found on the Moon, cutting the need for Earth‑based propellants? That’s the gamble Argo Space, founded in 2022 by three former SpaceX engineers, is taking. Instead of building rockets, they’re building a fleet that uses water as fuel, coolant, and radiation shield.

Water is abundant on the Moon and elsewhere, and it can be stored as a liquid at modest pressures. Chiron, Argo’s first spacecraft, weighs 200 kg and can generate more than 2 km/s of delta‑v. Solar panels split the onboard water into hydrogen and oxygen, which the vehicle then burns in a conventional rocket engine.

The same water also cools the avionics and blocks radiation. Argo’s first test flight, the Navigator, rode a Falcon 9 in July. A solar‑array failure left the craft power‑negative, so the propulsion system never fired. The team still validated the flight software, ground systems, and structures.

Looking ahead, Argo plans two Chiron missions in 2027—one on a new commercial rocket and one on a government‑furnished vehicle—because launch windows on Falcon 9 are too sparse.

The next step is Argonaut, a larger vehicle that can deliver 17 km/s of delta‑v per tank.

Argo signed a contract with ispace to ferry a lunar relay satellite later this decade.

With a small team and $20 million raised, the company’s ambition is bold.

Our read: if Argo can prove water‑based propulsion works at scale, it could lower the cost of in‑space logistics and unlock the Moon’s resources.

Watch whether Argo delivers on that promise and whether water becomes the new propellant of choice.