LUNA groundbreaking

The ESA-DLR LUNA analogue facility is currently being built next to ESA’s Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. This mixed reality application provides a preview of how the facility will look at its planned location. This advanced testbed for rovers and astronauts will refine the systems, tools, and operations essential for sustainable living and working on the Moon. The facility recreates the lunar surface and will be filled with simulated Moon dust (regolith) and can simulate lunar day and night cycles. It also features a suspension system to mimic the Moon's reduced gravity, which is about one-sixth of Earth's gravity. This demo was developed by Lora-Line Faure during her internship at ESA’s XR lab at the European Astronaut Centre and was produced for the groundbreaking event for LUNA.