In a groundbreaking move, Europe has launched a new lunar simulator, LUNA, to pave the way for future moon missions. French astronaut Thomas Pesquet shares his excitement and the significance of this milestone for European space exploration.
Europe’s Lunar Ambitions
It describes how with the European Space Agency (ESA) launching a mission right now to return humans to the moon the LUNA facility has just been opened in Germany.
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet tweeted that it was a ‘key moment’ for Europe as they joined the race to explore the moon. A special-purpose LUNA simulator was developed upon for training astronauts and testing gears for the upcoming moon missions, allowing them to simulate the environments that endure on this lunar orb.
The French national space hero for his tours of duty on the International Space Station (ISS), Pesquet said he was “extremely thrilled to be part of this first mission to the Moon”. He was talking about the moon — which is “1,000 times farther away than the ISS,” he said – and added, “Going to it takes the adventure to a whole other level.
The Moon Village: A blueprint for joining the Global Race to The Moon?
Europe is not alone in its lunar aspirations, with the excitement of human exploration there growing worldwide over the past few years.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration began the Artemis program to put astronauts on the moon by 2026 to mark crewed mission to the lunar surface since the Apollo missions in 1970s as an official Mars partnership. Elsewhere, China came a long way this year with the return of its Chang’e-4 mission to collect samples from the hidden side of the moon (hopefully they will remain there…), and plans for doing introductory tours up there with humans in tow by 2030.
Moonshot: Japan and India are also planning missions to the moon, headed to depths of the lunar south pole in search of water. The future targeted ESA/NASA cooperation for lunar missions will be crucial, and LUNA is a key facility demonstrating Europe’s commitment to such a project.
Astronauts As part of its contract to supply the service module for NASA’s Orion crew vehicle being used for Artemis missions, Europe has secured slots for three astronauts on the first three mission around the moon, Pesquet noted. But as he pointed out, “NASA has said to us, ‘To go the moon, you need to have an application on the lunar surface’ and LUNA is a way of saying that Europe is committed.”
Conclusion
LUNA lunar simulator launched in Germany — An important step for Europe’s journey to the moon As the world prepares for lunar exploration, Europe is on its way to prove that it has not been left behind and wants to stand as a partner in such endeavors of space exploration. The facility will serve as a training ground for astronauts and equipment, as well as showcasing Europe’s offer more broadly and laying the groundwork for partnership in missions to the Moon.
