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How much/what did ESA have to redesign when this moved from Luna-27 to Nova-C? Also, what's the fallback if you need to go deeper or the soil is harder than expected?

Fair questions! We had to adapt the data interfaces and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements to Western standards, while the main mechanical and thermal interfaces remained largely unchanged.

As for your second question, this is exactly what the drill was designed for. We have tested it in icy lunar regolith simulant with ample margin, and we were still able to reach a depth of one metre. Of course, no one can eliminate the risk of exploring a new, harsh location for the first time.