An account published November 3, 2026, said Argo Space had two Chiron demonstration flights planned for 2027. Chiron’s described propulsion design would use solar power to split liquid water into hydrogen and oxygen, then burn those gases in a conventional rocket engine.
How Argo’s reported water-propulsion design works
Water would be the feedstock, not the material expelled directly to create thrust. Solar electricity would split the stored liquid water into hydrogen and oxygen; combustion of those gases in a rocket engine would produce thrust. That is different from a bottle water rocket, where compressed air pushes liquid water out of a nozzle.
Navigator’s flight did not test the propulsion system. Argo said the spacecraft made contact in orbit, but one of its two rollout solar arrays failed to deploy. The resulting power shortfall prevented the test. Argo said Navigator did validate its flight and ground software, avionics, and structures through flight qualification.
Two reported Chiron flights, with different orbital destinations
The two demonstration missions described in the November 3 account had different target orbits and launch assignments. Both were intended to demonstrate propulsion and maneuvering between orbital environments.
| Planned flight | Target orbit | Assigned launch vehicle | Purpose |
| First | Low Earth orbit | An unnamed new commercial rocket | Demonstrate propulsion and maneuvering |
| Second | Geostationary transfer orbit | An unspecified government-furnished launch vehicle | Demonstrate propulsion and maneuvering |
The account described the customer as a national-security customer. It did not identify the launch vehicles by name.
What Argo reports for Chiron and Argonaut
A November 3 account attributed to Argo a Chiron mass of roughly 200 kg and more than 2 km/s of delta-v. Delta-v is the total change in velocity a spacecraft can produce. Argo cited raising a circular orbit of about 400 km to above 5,000 km as an example of Chiron’s claimed capability.
The same account attributed to Argo a maximum payload capacity of 1,400 kg for Argonaut and a maximum delta-v of 17 km/s per tank. These figures describe separate vehicle designs: Chiron is the spacecraft associated with the reported 2027 demonstrations, while Argonaut is the vehicle contracted for a lunar satellite delivery.
Argonaut’s planned delivery of Alpine to lunar orbit
On September 17, 2026, ispace announced that Argo Space and ispace-U.S. had finalized an agreement for Argonaut to deliver Alpine, a Lunar Connect relay satellite, to lunar orbit. The Mission 2.5 launch could take place as early as 2027, ispace said in its announcement.
ispace described Lunar Connect as a planned constellation of at least five lunar-orbit satellites for communications, positioning, observation, and space situational awareness. It expected the remaining satellites to be deployed by 2030.
