‘Magnificent desolation.’ That’s how Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the Moon, described the landscape of our nearest cosmic neighbour, back in 1969.
I couldn’t agree more. There’s no vegetation in sight, let alone insects or birds – just colourless rocks, stones, gravel and dust. The sky above is completely dark, but a blindingly bright light, low above the razor-sharp horizon, casts long, black shadows.
It would be fascinating to hear Aldrin’s thoughts on how realistic the scenery is. After all, it’s not the Moon (of course) – it’s the LUNA Analog Facility, a European training area for future Moon-bound astronauts.
Located on the grounds of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Cologne, the facility is a joint program of DLR and the European Space Agency (ESA).
Although a similar facility is under construction in Texas, in the US, LUNA is currently “unique in the world,” says project manager and space engineer Andrea Casini.
