Reaching the moon involves numerous incremental advancements, such as Europe’s recently established LUNA training center. However, more progress is needed. The next crucial milestone will be developing a moon gravity simulator.
If you wanted to create a version of the moon here on Earth, you'd require these three key components:
a substance similar to regolith (moon dust) in chemical makeup, combined with specialized illumination replicating the sun’s angle, along with a mechanism simulating lunar gravity (which is one-sixth that of Earth's gravitational pull).And a gigantic enclosure to contain everything, akin to a large metallic warehouse.
When the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA) presented their interpretation of the moon — the LUNA Analog Facility — In late September 2024, they had reached two-thirds of the way toward depicting the moon's enigmatic terrain. However, one key component was still absent.
The pitch-black environment was illuminated by a spotlight focused on two astronauts suited up completely—Germany’s Matthias Maurer and France’s Thomas Pesquet.
Maurer and Pesquet traversed the vast hangar, which spanned 700 square meters (about 7,500 square feet) filled with simulated lunar soil derived from the volcanic grounds of Italy’s Mount Etna, the Eifel area in Germany, as well as stones from Norway.
Armed with extendable scoops, a mock-up moon buggy, and accompanied by a robotic canine, the duo simulated an exploration mission across the faux lunar terrain for roughly 100 esteemed guests.
As they walked, the light shone from a precise angle to simulate how the sun would obstruct an astronaut's vision when humans return to the moon, possibly this decade.
However, they walked — not bounced as seen in video clips from The 1969 lunar landing missionApollo 11 — Because LUNA lacks lunar gravity.
Gravity simulation: The missing component of the LUNA mystery
Accompanied by a film score, Maurer and Peschet showcased the techniques they would use to gather specimens and investigate a lunar crater during an actual mission. This demonstration served as a showpiece for the attending political figures and space agency representatives, who enthusiastically congratulated the astronauts with fist bumps before the television cameras and production teams.
However, it seemed very terrestrial due to the lack of lunar gravitational forces. This is an issue that the engineers haven't managed to resolve yet.
Previously, astronauts have employed parabolic flights along with swimming pools to mimic and get accustomed to the conditions of zero or microgravity.
Parabolic flights utilize modified jet planes to simulate weightlessness by climbing to and diving down from great heights at an angle of 45 degrees.
The astronaut training swim facilities are uniquely outfitted as well, with trainees practicing simulated activities wearing their space suits.
However, none of these solutions would be feasible for the LUNA Analog Facility since it is located on solid ground.
Rather than that, engineers aim to create a "gravity offset system," according to Andrea Emanuele Maria Casini, an aerospace engineer overseeing the LUNA project.
"As if you were suspending the astronauts like marionettes," Casini explained.
Wires will be connected to the outside of the astronauts' space suits, probably exerting tension when they walk and holding them aloft as they leap.
The project remains in the prototype stage. Until it becomes available, Casini concurred: LUNA is an extremely costly sandbox. However, ultimately they will aim to test new technologies and train astronauts within a sealed setting.
Casini stated, 'The magic occurs within.' He added that the landscape would assist the upcoming cohort of astronauts in returning to the moon.
Moreover, there is potential for growth. Adjacent to the LUNA Analog Facility, there are two extra components: a habitat simulator and a converted greenhouse from the EDEN ISS project. This initiative aimed at simulating food production in frigid extraterrestrial conditions.
Next to the main hall, there’s an empty plot of land that could potentially serve as a site for a future "LUNA 2" mission or a Mars simulation area.
The moon was brought down to Earth
The LUNA Analog Facility has been under development for 12 years. Maurer, having logged 177 days in orbit, He has been driving this idea since day one. He informed SANTIJAYA that the facility accurately represented the conditions on the moon, despite lacking the gravity offloading system.
“When I descend into the crater within the facility and am completely bathed in sunlight, it blinds me,” Maurer stated. Additionally, since he is inside the crater, the rim casts a shadow over everything ahead, leaving his view shrouded in darkness.
This serves as a stress test for astronauts, subjecting them to challenging and occasionally conflicting circumstances they will face on the lunar surface.
An additional challenge is posed by the moon's regolith. According to Maurer, this represents a significant technological hurdle. It wreaks havoc with all electronic devices, infiltrates mechanical components causing blockages, and even affects spacesuits. However, we have the capability to simulate these conditions for testing purposes right here on Earth.
Links around the globe
LUNA has the capability to connect with mission control centers around the globe, including facilities such as DLR in Cologne and the German Space Operations Center (GSOC) in Munich, along with NASA’s center in Houston, USA, and even the International Space Station.
This implies that simulations might be conducted from afar, allowing NASA astronauts, for instance, to go through a mission rehearsal in Germany under the guidance of their team based in the United States.
Once operational, the LUNA Analog Facility will serve as a symbol of Europe’s dedication to space exploration, according to Kai-Uwe Schrogl, who serves as a special advisor for political affairs at ESA.
[LUNA] lends credibility," Schrogl stated. "While many discuss venturing to the moon and further into space, having just a handful of rockets or a lander at the conceptual stage isn’t enough. It’s essential to possess such facilities to demonstrate your seriousness.
In addition to supporting NASA's Artemis mission, Europe aims to reach the Moon by the 2030s with its independent efforts. The LUNA Analog Facility represents just one of several smaller initiatives aimed at achieving this objective.
Edited by: Zulfikar Abbany
Author: Matthew Ward Agius