The Moon on Earth
The LUNA Analog Facility is unique worldwide. Jointly operated by DLR and ESA, it is a training and test platform for future human and robotic lunar missions, located at DLR’s site in Cologne. Here, researchers, industry and start-ups work together to develop and test new solutions – sustainably strengthening Europe’s capacity for innovation and global competitiveness.
LUNA provides a state-of-the-art environment that simulates lunar conditions, supporting research, training and technology development. Covering 700 square metres and filled with 900 tonnes of volcanic material, the facility features a realistic lunar landscape made from regolith simulant – a material that closely replicates the properties of the lunar surface. It is based primarily on basalt from a quarry in the Rhein-Sieg district near Cologne and processed to closely match the chemical composition as well as the physical and geotechnical properties of actual lunar regolith.
In addition, LUNA features a solar simulator that reproduces the Moon’s day-night cycles and the extreme lighting conditions found in the lunar polar regions, among other capabilities. A dedicated deep floor area also allows drilling and sample extraction to depths of up to three metres, including investigations of simulated ‘frozen lunar soil’.
Link:
German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR)
DLR / ESA (joint project)
E-Mail contact-dlr@DLR.de
