Man is preparing to return to the Moon with many new features compared to the last moon landing by Eugene Cernan, commander of the Apollo 17 mission, in 1972. In 2026, Artemis II will launch the Orion spacecraft, while the following year, astronauts will return to touch the lunar surface. These two eagerly awaited moments also bear the European stamp, with several players from the Old Continent involved alongside NASA.
The European Space Agency has awarded Thales Alenia Space a €862 million contract to develop the lander part of the Argonaut spacecraft. It will be designed to transport and deliver equipment, rovers and scientific missions, with the first launch into orbit scheduled for 2030. Above all, the lander will guarantee Europe autonomous access to the lunar surface.
Multi-Purpose Habitat
Thales Alenia Space has another leading role to play as the successor to Alcatel Alenia Space, acquired by the French group Thales and then merged into a joint venture with the Italian holding company Leonardo, which is building the Multi-Purpose Habitat (MPH). This is the first permanent lunar base of its kind, built at the Turin plant and then to be installed at the south pole of the Earth’s satellite. The project is funded with €130 million, which will be used to build a cylinder six metres long and three metres wide, which will be home to future astronauts.
It will not be easy for explorers to adapt to such dimensions and shapes, but there is no other choice because that environment will have to contain everything needed to support missions lasting from 7 to 30 days. First and foremost, astronauts will need to be protected from radiation and lunar dust, which is insidious because it sticks to everything and easily causes abrasions.
Inside the Lunar Multi-Purpose Habitat, it will also be necessary to carry out the planned scientific experiments on the same support surfaces that will also be used for eating. There will be a bathroom, which is necessary for cohabitation because even on the Moon, there is gravity, albeit less than on our planet.
However, there will be no bedroom, as space is limited and alternative ways of resting will be used. As reported by Thales Alenia Italia itself, engineers, designers, and astronauts are working closely together to develop the first permanent ‘home’ for humans on the Moon, which is considered a training ground for preparing for the landing on Mars.
Future Lunar Exploration Habitat
Thales’ project is not the only one involved in preparing for the return of humans to the Moon, as the Future Lunar Exploration Habitat (Flexab) will soon see the light of day. Created to replicate an environment with the conditions of the lunar surface, Flexhab will be an integral part of Luna, a laboratory built by the European Space Agency in Cologne, Germany.
Designed as a place to bridge the gap between the Space Station and existing analogue training to prepare for the challenges of the Moon, the facility of the same name has been in operation for some time and, when completed, will provide 1,000 square metres of space for astronaut training. They will be able to prepare for missions by moving around in a space that simulates the lunar surface, relying on support infrastructure and the Flexhab living module.
Converted from a shipping container, it can accommodate four astronauts and includes small sleeping cabins, a kitchen, a laboratory and a shower with a toilet. The site has a dual purpose: on the one hand, it will allow explorers to get used to a confined environment, while on the other, it will enable engineers to understand how to optimise space for people and the activities they have to carry out.
ESA’s goal is to make Flexhab the standard reference for astronaut training, both to accustom them to the conditions of life on the Moon and to test instruments and solutions that can then be sent to the Earth’s satellite.
