Europe Prepares for Lunar Exploration with New Moon Simulator
Europe has taken a significant step towards returning humans to the Moon with the launch of a new lunar simulator in Germany. French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, renowned for his missions to the International Space Station (ISS), tested the facility known as LUNA at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne.
“It would be a dream and the high point of my career. The Moon is 1,000 times farther away than the ISS,” said the 46-year-old Pesquet in an interview. “Aboard the ISS, you feel like you’re doing something out of the ordinary. But going to the Moon takes the adventure to a whole other level.”
LUNA was designed to train astronauts and test equipment and materials for future missions to the lunar surface. Pesquet and fellow European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer rehearsed walking on the simulated lunar terrain, wearing special suits weighing 25 kilograms and carrying scientific and communications equipment.
“I was surprised by the piercing light seen on the Moon, especially at the south pole. It’s very hard to evaluate the topography,” Pesquet described. “The minute you leave the path, figuring out where to step is a whole different kettle of fish… It’s also incredibly slow. It’s not like Earth; you’re a lot less coordinated. It reminded me of my spacewalks at the International Space Station.”
International interest in exploring the Moon has surged in recent years. NASA has launched the Artemis program, aiming to put astronauts on the lunar surface in 2026, more than five decades after the last Apollo mission in 1972. The ESA hopes to collaborate with NASA on future Moon missions.
“It’s a key moment for Europe because we’re truly jumping into lunar exploration. We’re already partnering with NASA on supplying equipment and materials for Artemis,” Pesquet said. “But LUNA is really the first highly visible sign that we’ve embarked on plans to return to the Moon. We’re proving that by making long-term investments. This facility will be open to other space agencies, researchers, and, we hope, to private firms.”
Asian nations are also making significant strides in lunar exploration. Earlier this year, a probe collected samples from the far side of the Moon, and there are plans to send a crewed mission to Earth’s satellite by 2030 with ambitions to build a base on the lunar surface. Japan and India are planning to send a probe to hunt for water near the Moon’s south pole in 2025.
With global efforts intensifying, Europe’s commitment to lunar exploration marks an exciting era for space travel and international collaboration.
Reference(s):
Europe en route for moon with new simulator, says French astronaut
cgtn.com
