25/09/24 (Agence Europe) – The Lunar Analog Facility (LUNA), operated jointly by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Center (Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR), was inaugurated on Wednesday 25 September in Cologne, Germany. According to a statement from ESA, the facility, designed to recreate the lunar surface over an area of 700 square metres, is located next to ESA’s European Astronaut Centre and will be used to prepare astronauts, scientists, engineers and mission experts to live and work on the Moon. It will facilitate research, development and integrated testing of space technologies under realistic conditions. “This unique facility, with its ability to reproduce lunar conditions, advances our understanding of the Moon and prepares us for future missions”, said ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher. (CG)