Mission Moon in Cologne: 'LUNA' training facility opens

High five: Astronauts Thomas Pesquet and Matthias Maurer (right), one of the main initiators of the project, celebrated the opening of the new lunar simulation facility in Cologne-Porz on Wednesday. It was created in collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and is the only one of its kind in the world.

From the outside, the hall of the LUNA Analog Facility looks rather unspectacular, but inside, 700 square meters (7,534 square feet) of rock and over 900 tons of fine sand from volcanic rock have been used to recreate the surface of the moon as faithfully as possible. There are also lunar craters and reduced gravity simulations.

Astronauts can train here for moon missions under realistic conditions including how to react to potential dangers. Moon dust is dangerous and can stick to spacesuits and damage them; if it is inhaled, it can also damage the lungs. Equipment and protective measures will therefore also be tested in the facility.

The first training sessions for astronauts should soon be possible. At the LUNA training center, they will learn how to take soil samples or put on and take off their space suit without inhaling dust particles. "You could actually say that here in Cologne is the closest place on Earth to the moon," says German astronaut Alexander Gerst.

Lunar robots like this one can also be tested in the Cologne simulation facility. No man has been on the moon since the end of the US Apollo program in 1972, but numerous countries such as China, Japan and India as well as private companies have recently substantially stepped up their efforts to explore the Earth's satellite and outer space.

Representatives from NASA also attended the opening alongside North Rhine-Westphalia's state premier, Hendrik Wüst (left) and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher. The US space agency is also working on a resumption of manned moon missions. However, there have recently been a number of technical problems; the "Artemis 3" mission has now been postponed until September 2026.

Could a European soon be leaving footprints in the real moon's dust? This won't be the case before 2030, as NASA's planned mission will involve only US astronauts. However, LUNA positions Europe "at the forefront" of lunar exploration and will also promote international cooperation," explained ESA chief Aschbacher.