On July 20, 1969, humans walked on another world for the first time in history, achieving the goal that President John F. Kennedy had set in 1961, before Americans had even orbited the Earth. After a landing that included dodging a lunar crater and boulder field just before touchdown, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin explored the area around their lunar landing site for more than two hours.
When the lunar module landed at 4:17 p.m EDT, only 30 seconds of fuel remained. Armstrong radioed “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” Mission control erupted in celebration as the tension breaks, and a controller tells the crew “You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue, we’re breathing again.”
Plans for human space exploration in the next decades are to leave Earth orbit and go to destinations such as the Moon and Mars. But what are the challenges associated with human survival in space and what kind of research is needed to address these challenges?
Life-support systems expert Lucie Poulet participated in four Mars analogue missions as a crew member and has over eight years of experience working on regenerative life-support systems with various groups such as the Micro-Ecological Life-Support System Alternative (MELiSSA) project and the German Aerospace Center, DLR, in Bremen, Germany.
Space Bites hosts the best talks on space exploration from the most inspiring and knowledgeable speakers from the field. Held at the technical heart of the European Space Agency in The Netherlands, the lectures illustrate challenges of space.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
The Moon has been circling the Earth for over four billion years, but where did it come from?
In this video, Ralf Jaumann, planetary geologist at the German Aerospace Centre, DLR, discusses the four theories that could explain the origin of the Earth-Moon system.
There are four theories about the origin of the Earth-Moon system.
The first is that Earth captured a celestial body in its orbit. Another possibility is that a rapidly rotating Earth could have thrown material out to form the Moon around it. A third theory is that Earth and the Moon formed at the same time out of the same material. Today, most scientists believe the Moon is ‘Earth’s child’ – a large body collided with Earth, destroying our planet’s mantle and sending material into orbit from which the Moon formed. This ‘big splash’ theory would explain why the Moon’s rocks are similar to those on Earth.
ESA is Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
Over the last two decades, space agencies have created more comfortable conditions on the International Space Station, but we need to explore the concept of ‘living in space’ much further if humans are to ever live and work on another world, such as the Moon or Mars.
ESA’s Discovery and Preparation Programme works to prepare ESA for the future of space exploration. As part of this programme, ESA has worked with academic and industrial partners on a huge number of studies that lay the groundwork for living in space.
The technology that exists today could easily take us to the Moon and beyond, but it is studies like those carried out under the Discovery and Preparation Programme that will make a trip resourceful, sustainable and productive.
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ESA is Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
ExoMars is the first mission to head to the Red Planet to seek signs of life, now or in the past. It’s a massive scientific and technical challenge, and Euronews meets some of the team involved in this joint ESA-Roscosmos project in this month’s edition of Space.
ESA is Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.
Spacecraft in orbit and on Mars’s surface have made many exciting discoveries, transforming our understanding of the planet and unveiling clues to the formation of our Solar System, as well as helping us understand our home planet. The next step is to bring samples to Earth for detailed analysis in sophisticated laboratories where results can be verified independently and samples can be reanalysed as laboratory techniques continue to improve.
Bringing Mars to Earth is no simple undertaking—it would require at least three missions from Earth and one never-been-done-before rocket launch from Mars.
A first mission, NASA’s 2020 Mars Rover, is set to collect surface samples in pen-sized canisters as it explores the Red Planet. Up to 31 canisters will be filled and readied for a later pickup – geocaching gone interplanetary.
In the same period, ESA’s ExoMars rover, which is also set to land on Mars in 2021, will be drilling up to two meters below the surface to search for evidence of life.
A second mission with a small fetch rover would land nearby and retrieve the samples in a Martian search-and-rescue operation. This rover would bring the samples back to its lander and place them in a Mars Ascent Vehicle – a small rocket to launch the football-sized container into Mars orbit.
A third launch from Earth would provide a spacecraft sent to orbit Mars and rendezvous with the sample containers. Once the samples are safely collected and loaded into an Earth entry vehicle, the spacecraft would return to Earth, release the vehicle to land in the United States, where the samples will be retrieved and placed in quarantine for detailed analysis by a team of international scientists.
These observations of Phobos and Saturn were taken by the Super Resolution Channel of the High Resolution Stereo Camera on Mars Express. The video comprises 30 separate images acquired during Mars Express orbit 16 346 on 26 November 2016. The slight up and down movement of Saturn and Phobos in these images is caused by the oscillation of the spacecraft’s orientation after completing the turn towards the moon. Phobos can be seen in the foreground, partially illuminated, with Saturn visible as a small ringed dot in the distance. For more information go tohttp://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Mars_Express/Mars_Express_views_moons_set_against_Saturn_s_rings
A Euronews esteve em Huelva, onde conheceu o Rio Tinto, cujas margens e sedimentos se parecem em todos os aspetos aos do Planeta Vermelho. Um grupo de cientistas procura sinais de vida noutros planetas do nosso sistema solar. E fazem-no com a recolha de amostras dos lugares mais inesperados.
The Rio Tinto river snakes through the Spanish countryside for 100 kilometres, a dark, blood-red stain of acid water and rusty-looking rocks that scientists love to study. Both ESA and NASA experts regularly spend weeks in the Rio Tinto, examining the life underground, and using it as a test bed to look for life on Mars.
Since arriving at Mars in October 2016, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has been aerobraking its way into a close orbit of the Red Planet by using the top of the atmosphere to create drag and slow down. It is almost in the right orbit to begin observations – only a few hundred kilometres to go! With aerobraking complete, additional manoeuvres will bring the craft into a near-circular two-hour orbit, about 400 km above the planet, by the end of April. The mission’s main goal is to take a detailed inventory of the atmosphere, sniffing out gases like methane, which may be an indicator of active geological or biological activity. The camera will help to identify surface features that may be related to gas emissions. The spacecraft will also look for water-ice hidden below the surface, which could influence the choice of landing sites for future exploration. It will also relay large volumes of science data from NASA’s rovers on the surface back to Earth and from the ESA–Roscosmos ExoMars rover, which is planned for launch in 2020.
Animation visualising BepiColombo’s 7.2 year journey to Mercury.
This animation is based on a launch date of 5 October, marking the start of the launch window in October 2018. It illustrates the gravity assist flybys that the spacecraft will make at Earth, Venus and Mercury before arriving at Mercury in December 2025.
ECSAT (European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications) is the European Space Agency’s centre in the UK. With a commercially driven ethos, it supports European and Canadian industry in developing commercial satcom products and services, downstream applications and the ‘spin-out’ of space into non-space sectors.
ECSAT also the home of ESA’s Climate Office and has units dedicated to space exploration and technology development, one of which oversees the ESA–Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory.
NASA’s Orion spacecraft will take astronauts to destinations at or beyond low Earth orbit. In January 2013, it was announced that ESA would provide the European Service Module (ESM) for Orion’s first uncrewed mission. Derived from ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle cargo spacecraft, the ESM will provide life support, propulsion and structural functions for Orion. In February 2017, a contract was signed for a second ESM to be used on Orion’s first crewed flight, which will carry astronauts beyond the Moon and back.
This animation shows the proposed trajectory of ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explore (Juice) mission to Jupiter.
Based on a launch in June 2022, the spacecraft will make a series of gravity-assist flybys at Earth (May 2023, September 2024 and November 2026), Venus (October 2023) and Mars (February 2025) before arriving in the Jupiter system in October 2029.
The animation ends at the Jupiter orbit insertion point, but the planned 3.5 year mission will see Juice not only orbit Jupiter, but also make dedicated flybys of the moons Europa, Callisto and Ganymede, before orbiting the largest moon, Ganymede.
A Plútóról 2015-ben készített részletes felvételeket a New Horizons űrszonda, ezek a felvételek felbolygatták a tudományos közösséget. A törpebolygó több a furcsaságot tartogat, mint arra bárki számított, felszínén olyan jelenségek zajlanak, amire egyelőre nincs magyarázatunk. A fenti videóban a téma legjobb európai szakértői beszélnek arról, mit tudunk a Plútóról, és miértérdekes ez a probléma tudományos szempontból.
A Plutó 1930-as felfedezése óta rejtély volt az emberiség számára. Először bolygónak nevezték, 2006-ban átsorolták a törpe-bolygók közé. Minél többet tudunk meg róla, annál jobban megragadja tudósok fantáziáját.
Watch the amazing cartoon adventures of Rosetta and Philae, now back-to-back in one special feature-length production.
Find out how Rosetta and Philae first got inspired to visit a comet, and follow them on their incredible ten-year journey through the Solar System to their destination, flying around planets and past asteroids along the way. Watch as Philae tries to land on the comet and deals with some unexpected challenges!
Learn about the fascinating observations that Rosetta made as she watched the comet change before her eyes as they got closer to the Sun and then further away again. Finally, wish Rosetta farewell, as she, too, finishes her amazing adventure on the surface of the comet. Keep watching for one last surprise!
Watch the amazing cartoon adventures of Rosetta and Philae, now back-to-back in one special feature-length production.
Find out how Rosetta and Philae first got inspired to visit a comet, and follow them on their incredible ten-year journey through the Solar System to their destination, flying around planets and past asteroids along the way. Watch as Philae tries to land on the comet and deals with some unexpected challenges!
Learn about the fascinating observations that Rosetta made as she watched the comet change before her eyes as they got closer to the Sun and then further away again. Finally, wish Rosetta farewell, as she, too, finishes her amazing adventure on the surface of the comet. Keep watching for one last surprise!
Watch the amazing cartoon adventures of Rosetta and Philae, now back-to-back in one special feature-length production.
Find out how Rosetta and Philae first got inspired to visit a comet, and follow them on their incredible ten-year journey through the Solar System to their destination, flying around planets and past asteroids along the way. Watch as Philae tries to land on the comet and deals with some unexpected challenges!
Learn about the fascinating observations that Rosetta made as she watched the comet change before her eyes as they got closer to the Sun and then further away again. Finally, wish Rosetta farewell, as she, too, finishes her amazing adventure on the surface of the comet. Keep watching for one last surprise!
Watch the amazing cartoon adventures of Rosetta and Philae, now back-to-back in one special feature-length production.
Find out how Rosetta and Philae first got inspired to visit a comet, and follow them on their incredible ten-year journey through the Solar System to their destination, flying around planets and past asteroids along the way. Watch as Philae tries to land on the comet and deals with some unexpected challenges!
Learn about the fascinating observations that Rosetta made as she watched the comet change before her eyes as they got closer to the Sun and then further away again. Finally, wish Rosetta farewell, as she, too, finishes her amazing adventure on the surface of the comet. Keep watching for one last surprise!
Animation visualising Rosetta’s trajectory around Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, from arrival to mission end.
The animation begins on 31 July 2014, during Rosetta’s final approach to the comet after its ten-year journey through space. The spacecraft arrived at a distance of 100 km on 6 August, from where it gradually approached the comet and entered initial mapping orbits that were needed to select a landing site for Philae. These observations also enabled the first comet science of the mission.The manoeuvres in the lead up to, during and after Philae’s release on 12 November are seen, before Rosetta settled into longer-term science orbits.
In February and March 2015 the spacecraft made several flybys. One of the closest triggered a ‘safe mode’ that forced it to retreat temporarily until it was safe to draw gradually closer again.
The comet’s increased activity in the lead up to and after perihelion in August 2015 meant that Rosetta remained well beyond 100 km for several months.In June 2015, contact was restored with Philae again – albeit temporary, with no permanent link able to be maintained, despite a series of dedicated trajectories flown by Rosetta for several weeks.
Following the closest approach to the Sun, Rosetta made a dayside far excursion some 1500 km from the comet, before re-approaching to closer orbits again, enabled by the reduction in the comet’s activity.
In March–April 2016 Rosetta went on another far excursion, this time on the night side, followed by a close flyby and orbits dedicated to a range of science observations.
In early August the spacecraft started flying elliptical orbits that brought it progressively closer to the comet. On 24 September Rosetta left its close, flyover orbits and switched into the start of a 16 x 23 km orbit that was used to prepare and line up for the final descent.
On the evening of 29 September Rosetta manoeuvred onto a collision course with the comet, beginning the final, slow descent from an altitude of 19 km. It collected scientific data throughout the descent and gently struck the surface at 10:39 GMT on 30 September in the Ma’at region on the comet’s ‘head’, concluding the mission.
The trajectory shown in this animation is created from real data, but the comet rotation is not. Distances are given with respect to the comet centre (except for the zero at the end to indicate completion), but may not necessarily follow the exact comet distance because of natural deviations from the comet’s gravity and outgassing. An arrow indicates the direction to the Sun as the camera viewpoint changes during the animation.
Visualisation of the ExoMars Schiaparelli module entering and descending through the atmosphere to land on Mars. The animation follows a simulated timeline of the module, starting when it enters the atmosphere at an altitude of 121 km at 14:42 GMT. In six minutes it will use a heatshield, parachute and thrusters to brake from 21 000 km/h to a near standstill 2 m above the surface, where a crushable structure on its underside will absorb the final shock.
The key operational milestones are highlighted in the animation at the predicted times at which they have been calculated to occur. However, the actual times may vary depending on the atmospheric conditions on the day, the final path through the atmosphere and the speed at which the module descends.
The times indicated in the animation are onboard spacecraft times at Mars. The one-way signal travel time on 19 October is just under 10 minutes, meaning that signals relayed by spacecraft at Mars are received on Earth about 10 minutes after the event itself has happened on the Red Planet.
Both Schiaparelli and the Mars scenery in this animation are computer-generated.
Visualisation of the ExoMars Schiaparelli module entering and descending through the martian atmosphere to land on Mars.
Schiaparelli will enter the atmosphere at about 21 000 km/h and in less than six minutes it will use a heatshield, a parachute and thrusters to slow its descent before touching down in the Meridiani Planum region close to the equator, absorbing the final contact with a crushable structure.
The entire process will take less than six minutes: the animation has been sped up.
Schiaparelli is set to separate from the Trace Gas Orbiter on 16 October, after a seven-month cruise together through space, and will enter the atmosphere on 19 October at 14:42 GMT.
On the last day of her incredible mission, Rosetta slowly descends to the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. After having sent her extraordinary data back home, she is ready to join Philae for a well deserved rest on the comet. But is there one last surprise in store?
On the last day of her incredible mission, Rosetta slowly descends to the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. After having sent her extraordinary data back home, she is ready to join Philae for a well deserved rest on the comet. But is there one last surprise in store?
On the last day of her incredible mission, Rosetta slowly descends to the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. After having sent her extraordinary data back home, she is ready to join Philae for a well deserved rest on the comet. But is there one last surprise in store?
On the last day of her incredible mission, Rosetta slowly descends to the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. After having sent her extraordinary data back home, she is ready to join Philae for a well deserved rest on the comet. But is there one last surprise in store?
Besides its scientific and operational successes, the Rosetta mission has captured the imagination of many people worldwide, stimulating them to produce art and music, and undertake other creative activities with friends and families. Many even made further education or career choices inspired by the mission.This video features a selection of contributions that were shared on the Rosetta Legacy tumblr in September 2016.
Animation visualising Rosetta’s descent to Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 30 September 2016. The sequence is speeded up to show the relative motion of Rosetta and the rotating comet below.
Rosetta will target a smooth region close to several large pits measuring more than 100 m across and 60 m deep, on the small lobe of the comet.
The impact time is predicted as 11:20 GMT +/- 20 minutes on 30 September.
Animation of Rosetta’s trajectory over the last two months of its mission at Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.
The animation begins in early August, when the spacecraft started flying elliptical orbits that brought it progressively closer to the comet at its closest approach.
On 24 September 2016, Rosetta will leave its current close, flyover orbits and transfer into the start of a 16 x 23 km orbit that will be used to prepare and line up for the final descent.
On the evening of 29 September (20:50 GMT) Rosetta will manoeuvre onto a collision course with the comet, beginning the descent from an altitude of 19 km. The spacecraft will fall freely, without further manoeuvres, collecting scientific data during the descent.
The trajectory shown here was created from real data provided over the last month, but may not necessarily follow the exact comet distance because of natural deviations from the comet’s gravity and outgassing.
Animation of Rosetta’s final trajectory in the last 10 days of its mission at Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.
On 24 September 2016, Rosetta will leave a close flyover orbit and transfer into the start of a 16 x 23 km orbit that will be used to prepare and line up for the final descent. In the evening of 29 September (20:50 GMT) Rosetta will manoeuvre onto a collision course with the comet, beginning the descent from an altitude of 19 km. The spacecraft will fall freely, without further manoeuvres, collecting scientific data during the descent.
The trajectory shown in this animation is created from real data provided in the last month, but may not necessarily follow the exact distance/time details because of natural deviations in the trajectory associated with the comet’s gravity and outgassing.
Animation visualising Rosetta’s two-year journey around Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.
The animation begins on 31 July 2014, during Rosetta’s final approach to the comet after its ten-year journey through space. The spacecraft arrived at a distance of 100 km on 6 August whereupon it gradually approached the comet and entered initial mapping orbits that were needed to select a landing site for Philae. These observations also enabled the first comet science of the mission. The manoeuvres in the lead up to, during and after Philae’s deployment on 12 November are seen, before Rosetta settled into longer-term science orbits.
In February and March 2015 the spacecraft made several flybys. One of the closest flybys triggered a ‘safe mode’ event that forced it to retreat temporarily until it was safe to gradually draw closer again. The comet’s increased activity in the lead up to and after perihelion in August 2015 meant that Rosetta remained well beyond 100 km distances for several months.
In June 2015, contact was restored with Philae again – albeit temporary, with no permanent link able to be maintained, despite a series of dedicated trajectories flown by Rosetta for several weeks.
Following perihelion, Rosetta performed a dayside far excursion some 1500 km from the comet, before re-approaching to closer orbits again, enabled by the reduction in the comet’s activity. In March–April 2016 Rosetta went on another far excursion, this time on the night side, followed by a close flyby and orbits dedicated to a range of science observations.
The animation finishes at 9 August 2016, before the details of the end of mission orbits were known. A visualisation of the trajectories leading to the final descent to the surface of the comet on 30 September will be provided once available.
The trajectory shown in this animation is created from real data, but the comet rotation is not. An arrow indicates the direction to the Sun as the camera viewpoint changes during the animation.
The ExoMars 2016 spacecraft will build on past missions to Mars. From the pioneering Viking missions onwards, our knowledge of Mars has been transformed and we now have an extraordinarily detailed picture of the planet. There are dust storms, polar ice caps and four distinct seasons. Mars has the largest volcanic mountain in our solar system and a canyon stretching over 5000 kilometres.
This film covers what we have learnt in particular from Europe’s Mars Express mission. Since its arrival in 2003, it has found evidence of water on Mars, discovered methane in the planet’s atmosphere, mapped the structure and composition of the south polar ice cap, discovered auroras and made the closest ever flybys of Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons. Mars Express also helped scientists select the landing site for the NASA Mars Curiosity rover, which arrived in Gale crater in 2012.
More remains to be learnt from Mars. Not least, whether the methane results from geological activity or past or present life.
Jan Woerner, Director General of the European Space Agency, has a bold new vision for space exploration. “My intention is to build up a permanent base station on the Moon,” he tells Euronews from the agency’s main control room in Darmstadt. “Meaning that it’s an open station, for different member states, for different states around the globe.”
Mankind has never had a permanent lunar presence, and so this new vision, that Woerner likes to call the ‘Moon village’, would represent a giant leap in space exploration.
Le directeur général de l’Agence spatiale européenne dit vouloir construire une base permanente sur la Lune. Ce projet incroyable prend peu à peu forme à mesure que les scientifiques européens commencent à sérieusement y réfléchir. Nous avons rencontré quelques-uns de ceux qui pourraient faire de ce rêve, une réalité, notamment au Centre européen des astronautes à Cologne.
“J’ai l’intention de construire une base permanente sur la Lune : ce sera une station ouverte pour différents Etats participants, des pays des quatre coins du monde,” explique posément le nouveau directeur général de l’Agence spatiale européenne.
Die Europäische Weltraumorganisation ESA will ein tollkühnes Projekt in Angriff nehmen: Sie will ein Dorf auf dem Mond bauen. Die permanente Station soll an dem Ort entstehen, an dem einst die Russen landeten und die Amerikaner erste Schritte machten. ESA-Chef Jan Woerner hat eine Vision: “Ich will eine permanente Mondstation bauen. Es wäre eine offene Station für mehrere Länder aus der ganzen Welt.”
Die Apollo-Ära hat gezeigt, dass Träume Wirklichkeit werden können. Die Forscher damals hatten ein klares Ziel vor Augen: die Mondlandung. ESA-Astronaut Andreas Mogensen scheint zuversichtlich: “In den 1960er Jahren haben sie das innerhalb von zehn Jahren geschafft. Heute sind wir technologisch gesehen viel weiter. Wir können es also noch einmal machen.”
Die Mondstation würde die Internationale Raumstation, ISS, ablösen. Sie wäre das neue gemeinsame Raumfahrt-Projekt, an dem alle teilnehmen könnten. “Die Amerikaner, die Russen, die Chinesen, die Inder und die Japaner werden mitmachen. Und andere Länder werden ebenfalls etwas beisteuern,” so Woerner.
– Feltett szándékom egy állandó bázisállomás építése a Holdra – mondja az Európai Űrügynökség vezetője, Jan Woerner. – Ez egy közös bázis lenne a partnereinkkel, amit a világ más országaival közösen építenénk és használnánk. Benne lesznek az amerikaiak, az oroszok, a kínaiak az indiaiak, a japánok és kisebb hozzájárulással más országok is.
A jelenlegi helyzetben a Holdbázis álomnak tűnik – de az Apolló-program során már kiderült, hogy megfelelő költségvetés mellett óriási technológiai ugrások lehetségesek. A tervek szerint ez lenne az új globális űrprojekt a Nemzetközi Űrállomás után.
Tornare sulla Luna? La prossima tappa dell’esplorazione spaziale, dopo l’esperienza della Stazione Spaziale Internazionale, prevede molto di più. L’Agenzia spaziale europea ha un nuovo obiettivo: costruire una base permanente sulla luna.
I russi furono i primi a lanciare una missione sulla luna mentre gli americani i primi a camminare sulla sua superficie. Oggi la luna continua ad essere al centro di ambiziose ricerche come ci conferma anche il direttore generale dell’Agenzia spaziale europea Jan Wörner. Una base internazionale, una stazione aperta ai diversi Stati membri dell’Agenzia e ai paesi di tutto il mondo.
Un sogno animato dalla stessa passione che ha portato il primo uomo sulla Luna. Certo finora nessuno ha mai realizzato un progetto simile. Dalla missione spaziale Apollo sono stati fatti passi da gigante.
O homem que está à frente da Agência Espacial Europeia (ESA) tem um ambicioso objetivo: construir uma base permanente na Lua. É no Centro Europeu de Astronautas em Colónia, na Alemanha, que estão a ser dados os primeiros passos nessa direção.
Em 1959, os russos conseguiram aterrar uma nave não tripulada na Lua; dez anos mais tarde, os americanos passearam na sua superfície. Hoje em dia, o plano é ficar. _”O meu objetivo é construir uma base permanente na Lua. Uma estrutura aberta à participação de diferentes países”_, declara Jan Wörner, diretor geral da ESA. A ideia é criar um projeto global à semelhança da Estação Espacial Internacional.
O Centro Europeu de Astronautas em Colónia organizou um workshop precisamente sobre como erguer uma espécie de pequena aldeia sobre a superfície lunar. A presença de certos metais, minerais e de água gelada pode representar um contributo valioso. Segundo Bernard Foing, diretor do Grupo Internacional de Exploração Lunar, _”a Lua tem imensos recursos. Encontrámos gelo nos polos, encontrámos áreas que estão quase constantemente expostas ao Sol. São zonas que nos podem fornecer recursos para utilizarmos na construção ou na manutenção da vida dos astronautas na base lunar.”_
La nueva cúpula de la Agencia Espacial Europea (ESA) quiere construir una base permanente en la Luna. El lugar donde hace medio siglo los rusos llegaron por primera vez y los estadounidenses dieron sus primeros pasos. Se trata de un proyecto muy ambicioso en el que ya está trabajando el Centro Europeo de Astronautas con sede en la ciudad alemana de Colonia.
“Mi intención es construir una base permanente en la luna, una estación abierta a diferentes estados miembros de todo el mundo”, asegura Jan Woerner, director de la ESA.
