Welcome to the moon on Earth: The LUNA Hall at the DLR site in Cologne was officially opened on 25 September 2024. It is a globally unique training facility where astronautical and robotic missions to Earth's satellite can be prepared in a realistic environment. The facility is a joint project of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Covering an area of around 700 square metres and with a height of nine metres, it also has an attached technology centre and offers experts from science, industry and start-ups a platform to test and further develop their technologies.
The proximity to the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) and the DLR facilities in Cologne, as well as the many years of experience in planning and executing robotic and astronautical missions, are advantageous. This includes, among other things, the control of the Columbus module of the ISS, which is operated from the German Space Operations Centre (GSOC) in Oberpfaffenhofen.
A simulated lunar surface spanning 700 square metres
The regolith simulant in the LUNA facility is made of basalt originating from a quarry in the Rhine-Sieg district of North Rhine-Westphalia. The chemical, physical and geotechnical properties of the mixture are very similar to those of lunar regolith.
LUNA enables the development and testing of new tools and equipment, as well as the simulation of new operating concepts in an analogue lunar environment, and will thus support the preparation of future manned lunar missions.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Matthias Sperl
Co-Head of Department
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Institute for Frontier Materials on Earth and in Space
