The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced its intent to send a crewed mission to the Moon, and has recruited and trained personnel for a potential lunar mission. In 2022, it announced its first class of astronauts since 2009, which is comprised of five full-time, career astronauts and 12 part-time reserves. The agency is partnering with NASA on its Artemis program, and ESA astronauts could participate in the Artemis IV and IV lunar landing missions, should they occur.

Additionally, ESA has planned its own lunar mission. The agency first plans to launch the Lunar Pathfinder satellite by 2028, followed by the Argonaut Lunar Lander in 2031. The latter will deliver both freight and scientific equipment to the Moon. This plan also involves steps to make the Moon habitable for human life by producing drinkable water and breathable oxygen. This mission sequence will culminate with the Gateway to the Moon, which aims to be the first crewed mission to the Moon since the U.S. lunar mission in the 1970s.

ESA is also working to build up its own capability to conduct a crewed lunar mission. It has the capacity to construct spacecraft as indicated by the agency providing the service module for Orion, the spacecraft used in the Artemis missions. It has also partnered with the private sector to bolster its capacity. The company Arianespace was awarded a contract to conduct a study into whether the Ariane 6 rocket could be used for future crewed missions. However, it remains unclear whether or not ESA will be able to accomplish its lunar objectives in the near-term.

This question will resolve positively if a major news agency reports that an ESA astronaut has participated in a crewed mission to the lunar surface by December 31, 2028.