Luna training center: Space agency ESA recreates the moon in Cologne | Life & Knowledge
Before we head to Mars, our direct neighbor is the focus of the major space nations. The moon is the destination of the next astronaut missions. The Europeans also want to go there. But how do you get around there, how do you live there and what can our technology withstand under the adverse conditions on Earth's satellite?
The astronauts cannot train on the moon itself. That is why the European Space Agency ESA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) are bringing the moon to Earth. Luna, a training and technology center for the moon that is unique in the world, is currently being built at the ESA Astronaut Center in Cologne.
BILD introduces Luna for the first time.
The exterior view of Luna: The center could open this year
Only twelve people have been on board the Apollo missions NASA on the moon. And that was a few years ago. You can't ask most of the moonwalkers anymore, only four of them are still alive. And they were all only there for a few days. Future moon missions will last longer, at least seven days.
US astronaut Buzz Aldrin during his walk on the moon. Future moonwalkers can prepare for this in Cologne.
Matthias Maurer (54) is an astronaut of the ESA and he also wants to fly to the moon one day. He is responsible for Luna. Maurer tells BILD: “We are bringing the moon to Cologne. Luna is being built there on an area of around 1000 square meters. This is unique in the world. NASA now wants to build a moon training center, but we are the first and probably a lot better.”
Our moon is the next big goal for space travel. From there we will go on to Mars.
What are the special features?
Matthias Maurer: “We will have sand there like on the moon, very dusty. Since Apollo, we have known that this fine sand damages the technology. But we want the technology to break down here on Earth and not up on the moon.” The special sand comes from the volcanic Eifel and is mixed especially for the ESA.
ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer (54) comes from materials research, so he is well prepared for Luna planning.
Light like on the moon
The lighting conditions should also be like those on the moon, as they are very difficult there. Matthias Maurer: “In the polar region on the moon, where we want to land in the future, we have very long and pitch-black shadows. And it's easy to stumble there. In the system, we can push the sun right down to the edge of the image to imitate these long shadows.”
And how is weightlessness on the moon recreated? Matthias Maurer: “During training, the astronauts in space suits hang from ropes that are guided along the ceiling. This makes me significantly lighter. For example: someone who weighs 60 kilograms will then weigh only ten kilograms. This corresponds to the conditions on the moon.”
So, exact lunar conditions on Earth. Future moon travelers should be well prepared, and Matthias Maurer naturally dreams of being one of the first: “Of course I want to go to the moon, every astronaut dreams of that.”