LUNA Analog Facility
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are jointly offering LUNA, a fundamental facility for the preparation of future human and robotic missions to the Moon at the Cologne site. With its unique infrastructure and the seamless integration into the campus, LUNA enables complex simulations for lunar surface activities of astronauts and robotic systems. LUNA thus is an important and relevant part within existing international capabilities.
LUNA establishes an internationally distinct and visible competence centre for Moon activities as German-European contribution to the continued exploration of space.
News
PHOENIX Spectrometers Demo Test at LUNA
In late February 2026, the LUNA Analog Facility became the setting for a valuable milestone in a lunar exploration technology: the demonstration test of the PHOENIX (Portable Handheld cOmbinEd RamaN-LIBS-XRF) spectrometer. Developed through a collaboration between the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA, ES), the University of Leicester (UK), the
The life support system photobioreactor in the LUNA test: breathing and eating thanks to tiny algae
If we want to send humans into space, we must provide and maintain breathable air. The system that performs this function in a spacecraft is called the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). The Technical University of Munich (TUM) has developed and tested a photobioreactor system that will add
Nåva Space conducts EVA Suit Test Campaign at LUNA Facility
The Norwegian aerospace company Nåva Space has successfully completed a field test campaign of its non-pressurized EVA suit development platform at the LUNA analogue facility in Cologne. The campaign marks an important step in the development of future European extravehicular activity (EVA) suit systems.
When spacesuit, lunar dust, and control center come together: Successful communication test between LUNA and :envihab
How reliably does communication work under moon-like conditions?
This central question was at the heart of a three-day test campaign at the LUNA analog facility in Cologne. For the first time, a joint ESA and DLR team tested the complete communication chain between the LUNA test site, the local
A sneak peek at Artemis IV in LUNA
NASA has announced the two scientific instruments that astronauts will deploy and operate near the lunar South Pole during the second crewed lunar landing of the Artemis programme, Artemis IV, on December 4th, 2025. One of these instruments is the South Pole Seismic Station (SPSS), which consists of a seismometer
SAIL Campaign: Triple Solar Array Demonstration Lights Up LUNA
The LUNA Analog Facility team conducted a series of mission simulations called SAIL (Solar Array Installation in LUNA), which focused on the installation of a solar array under conditions similar to those found at the lunar south pole. The campaign provided an excellent opportunity to investigate both the technical and