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Moon

If space is an ocean, then the Moon is our nearest island. An island that last saw human visitors in December 1972, when the final Apollo mission returned home.

Moon

LUNA: Moon on Earth

Humankind's ambition to explore our steady orbital companion, the Moon, sustainably is accelerating around the globe. Many agencies are preparing for or already operating new robotic and human missions to the Moon, most prominently NASA’s Artemis programme that will fly astronauts to the Moon again about 50 years after Apollo. All international partners, including the European Space Agency (ESA), must prepare for upcoming lunar missions and a facility planned next to ESA's European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, will recreate Moon conditions on Earth like never before.  

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Moon

Europe delivers module for first astronaut mission to the Moon

The second European Service Module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft is on its way to USA. It is the last stopover on Earth before this made-in-Europe powerhouse takes the first astronauts around the Moon on the Artemis II mission.

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Moon

The Moon in better sight

People with sight loss and sensory disabilities often experience problems seeking information online. ESA is bringing the Moon closer to them with a more accessible series of infographics.

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Science

Lunch with the Moon

Watch ESA’s real-time coverage of the total lunar eclipse live on Wednesday, 26 May, including fascinating insights into Earth’s enigmatic satellite, the Moon.

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Spaceship EAC

Spaceship friendship: forward to the Moon together

At ESA's European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, the Spaceship EAC initiative brings a team of young professionals and researchers together to advance the future of human and robotic space exploration. It is a lofty challenge that is gathering momentum, with new Spaceship sites in Toulouse, France and the UK.

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Spaceship EAC

Spaceship EAC: recycling water on the Moon

As humans strive to return to the lunar surface and travel even farther into space, new solutions are needed to provide astronauts with ongoing access to oxygen, food and water. The team at Spaceship EAC at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, is researching critical subsystems that could support water recycling, energy storage and In-situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) in space.

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Spaceship EAC

Spaceship EAC: 3D printing with lunar dust

Aurélie Hand, of France, is a materials engineering student currently completing a 13-month Master’s internship at ESA's European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. As part of Spaceship EAC's advanced manufacturing team, she is using different simulants to test 3D printing technology for sustainable living on the Moon.

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Moon

Virtual reality session with ESA astronauts for Gateway design

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst and Luca Parmitano donned virtual reality headsets at the European Astronaut Centre last week to help prepare for the Preliminary Design Review of the International Habitat (I-Hab) module for the lunar Gateway. Thales Alenia Space teamed up ESA last week to review the habitat’s space, and who better to help design […]

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