2023-05-01 11:09:42
EIn the year after his return from space, the last German Esa astronaut in space is eager for new adventures. “I am currently one of six European astronauts available for NASA’s Artemis lunar missions,” says Matthias Maurer of the European Space Agency Esa. “So it remains exciting.”
Maurer wants to go to the moon, but first the moon will come to him – in a way. In these weeks, the construction of a special training hall – including a lunar landscape – will begin at ESA’s European Astronaut Center in Cologne.
“We want to get the Luna training hall ready for use in 2024, then we will have the best training facilities worldwide for astronauts,” says Maurer, one of the project managers. He assumes that NASA astronauts will also use the hall.
“We can test everything there from the moment the capsule lands on the lunar surface: get out, explore the surface for several days, set up experiments, fix problems, move vehicles right through to the moment of the return flight,” says Maurer with palpable passion. And all under conditions like on the moon: on “sharp-edged sand” from the Eifel, which corresponds to moon sand, in lighting conditions like in space and with a cable system that reduces the perceived weight to a sixth.
The moon is a heart project
“It’s about making the Astronaut Center in Cologne fit for the future of lunar exploration. This is a project close to my heart,” says Maurer, who recently became deputy head of the center. A year ago, on May 6, 2022, the Saarlander returned to earth after 177 days on the “International Space Station” ISS.
Now the 53-year-old hopes to continue his adventures: He wants to fly to the moon with NASA’s Artemis program. “Of course, Artemis 3 would be a great mission because it will land on the moon again for the first time in this millennium,” he says. Whether he gets a ticket to the moon for the late 2020s is still open.
Why the moon is his dream? One reason is that you can learn a lot about the earth and the solar system from there. The moon and earth are roughly the same age: both were formed around 4.6 billion years ago. The theory is that the moon is a piece of Earth that was thrown out by a collision of a Mars-sized object with early Earth. The moon has since frozen and “still in its original state on the surface”.
history book of the earth
“The moon is, so to speak, a history book of the earth,” says the Saarlander. From this one could gain insights into how the system earth-moon-sun came about – and of course pursue “the really big question”: “Is there other life out there?”
Maurer also wants to develop technologies on the moon for a future trip to Mars. This includes the production of air to breathe, water to drink and energy for instruments. “If it doesn’t work out on the moon right away, we’ll be home in three days. Flying back from Mars usually takes 300 days. So before we try things on Mars, let’s explore and learn them on the Moon.”
Europe’s former space chief Jan Wörner hopes Maurer’s enthusiasm is contagious. “While ESA flights are not about personal adventure, people remain indispensable as mediators of fascination and motivation,” said the former ESA Director General during Maurer’s mission. A person can describe the beauty, fragility and condition of the earth more intensively than a space probe, said the current president of the German Academy of Science and Engineering.
Fall into a monster’s maw
Maurer can clearly remember his return from the outpost of mankind. “The return trip through the earth’s atmosphere was definitely the wildest thing about this whole space adventure,” says the materials scientist. From 28,000 kilometers per hour it was slowed down to below 30 km/h. You were pressed into the chair, the capsule was swinging. It hisses, you can see colors and sparks outside the windows. “It felt like we were falling down a monster’s maw.”
Maurer has just written a book about his adventure on the space station around 400 kilometers above the earth. “It’s almost done and it’s due out in October,” he says. Under the title „Cosmic Kiss“ it is about the selection to become an astronaut, the stages of the training up to the space flight. The story ends as the mission ended back then: with the landing in the water off the US coast.
“Aha! Ten minutes of everyday knowledge” is WELT’s knowledge podcast. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we answer everyday questions from the field of science. Subscribe to the podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Amazon Music or directly via RSS feed.
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