The virtual moon takes a huge leap to train astronauts

In a huge warehouse in Cologne, Germany, astronauts walk on the moon without leaving Earth. The European Space Agency’s Luna facility, a 700-square-meter terrain filled with 900 tons of man-made lunar dust, is now combining physical simulations with virtual reality to prepare humans to return to the moon’s surface.

The sharp contrast between blind sunshine and dark shadows presents one of the biggest challenges for the explorer. Without an atmosphere of light spreading, lunar conditions create visual impairments, unlike anything on Earth – astronauts must prepare to sail.

“Extended reality allows us to overcome many limitations of Earth-based training environments,” said Lionel Ferra, who leads ESA’s software and AI force team. “At Luna, we are creating spaces where we can prepare for the moon’s challenge in real mission-like conditions through testing equipment, refining procedures and training.”

Located near ESA’s European Astronaut Center, the Luna Analogue facility offers something that was previously impossible – a complete simulation where astronauts can practice lunar operations while wearing space suits and VR headsets. Integration creates an experience that appeals to multiple senses simultaneously, a key component of effective training.

Engineers face significant technical obstacles in developing the system. Extreme lighting conditions on the moon may interfere with the optical tracking system that VR headphones rely on. However, initial testing has shown encouraging results that headphones use multiple sensor types, including working outside of the visible spectrum, to function reliably even under these challenging conditions.

Grinded lunar dust brings another obstacle. Luna uses a “homemade” EAC-1A Regolith simulater to mimic the moon’s fixed, harmful particles. Commercial VR headphones with cooling fans and removable parts are particularly prone to soaking. In response, the team is developing dedicated dustproof headphones that incorporate breath protection without compromising performance.

What is particularly valuable about VR methods is their adaptability. The system allows trainers to simulate objects that are too large to fit physically into the facility (such as SpaceX’s Starship Lunar Lander) and can recreate scenarios that lack traditional directional hints, such as working in microgravity or unusual directions.

Recent tests have shown that VR systems work efficiently inside and outside the space suit. For future lunar missions, astronauts may integrate the augmented reality displays directly used during spacewalks into their helmets and provide more traditional hardware within the habitat module.

German ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer has been tested in the facility and is wearing an Atlas Analogue spacesuit while using VR headsets to evaluate its effectiveness in a simulated lunar environment.

Currently, Luna’s mixed reality training mainly serves astronauts, trainers and space engineers. Plans are being made to expand access to ground support teams and mission controllers, as well as researchers developing new lunar technologies.

The facility aims to ultimately create a complete digital twin that seamlessly blends with the physical environment, representing a significant advance in preparing humanity for lunar exploration.

“Immersive technologies like VR are not only changing the way we train space missions—they are shaping the way we explore entirely new worlds,” Ferra notes. “By combining digital and physics, we are creating training environments to push possible boundaries. Luna is more than just a training ground—it is the test bed for the future of human space flight.”

As international lunar return missions advance in the coming years, these training innovations will ensure that European astronauts are prepared for the unique challenges of working in another world.