The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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LUNA recreates the Moon's surface on Earth, located next to ESA’s Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany.
This collaborative project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) serves as a fully integrated training and testing ground, simulating lunar-like conditions here on Earth. It enables researchers to practise manoeuvring in these environments and test new technologies for the success of future missions to the Moon and beyond.
In the LUNA facility, astronauts will soon train for various exploration scenarios, practising work on the lunar surface supported by a variety of rovers, robots, and equipment.