In an effort to prepare for future moon missions, European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts Thomas Pesquet of France and Matthias Maurer of Germany, along with their robotic companion, recently ventured into a specially designed lunar simulation facility located near Cologne in Germany. This facility, named the LUNA facility, replicates lunar conditions for training purposes, as it will be years before ESA can send astronauts to the actual moon.
The LUNA facility, situated at the European Astronaut Center, boasts 900 tons of ground-up volcanic rock like that found on the moon spread over an area slightly larger than a basketball court. To mimic the moon’s low-gravity environment, movable ceiling-mounted trolleys have been installed to track the movements of suspended astronauts or rovers within the facility.
During a pre-opening briefing, ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst highlighted that the facility captures most aspects astronauts will encounter on the moon, including the surface, lunar dust, rocks, and lighting. While operating in spacesuits that restrict movement and visibility, astronauts can simulate tasks they would perform on the lunar surface at the facility.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher described the opening of the facility as a significant milestone in Europe’s space exploration efforts. ESA has secured three spots on future moon missions as part of the NASA-led Artemis program aiming for missions by 2030, contingent on program advancements. Presently, ESA relies on NASA and other partners for transporting its astronauts to space, with the agency contributing to the service module for the Orion crew capsule set to journey to the moon under Artemis.
The lunar soil utilized in the facility is sourced from volcanic rock extracted in the nearby Siebengebirge mountain range, meticulously processed to closely resemble the moon’s surface. Delays in the facility’s opening were caused by the pandemic and the discovery of protected lizards on the site, necessitating a relocation just before construction began.
Moving forward, the jointly operated facility by ESA and the German Aerospace Agency will serve as a platform for testing lunar rovers, practicing moonwalks in cumbersome spacesuits, and conducting various tasks relevant to future lunar exploration missions. With efforts like these, ESA aims to prepare its astronauts for the challenges and conditions they will encounter on the moon in the coming years.