The European Space Agency (ESA) presented on Wednesday in Paris its team of seven astronauts ready to train to explore the Moon as part of the American Artemis program. Only one of them could tread the lunar surface.
All seven, Frenchman Thomas Pesquet, Germans Alexander Gerst and Matthias Maurer, Italians Luca Parmitano and Samantha Cristoforetti, Dane Andreas Mogensen and Briton Tim Peake, have carried out at least one mission in orbit aboard the space station. International (ISS).
They represent ‘the equivalent of 4.5 years in orbit, and 98 hours of extravehicular outings’, explained Philippe Willekens, head of ESA. Among them, only three will be selected for the Lunar Gateway, the future station in lunar orbit, and only one to walk on the lunar ground, by the end of the decade. But the ESA has not yet chosen.
ESA, of which Switzerland is a member, is participating in the American program to return to the Moon Artemis, in particular with its ESM service module placed under the Orion capsule of the first mission which is due to take off soon, without an astronaut on board.
A European manned vehicle
For the next Artemis flights, manned this time, the European agency has already negotiated the sending of three of its astronauts to the Lunar Gateway. Then, if the experiment succeeds, “there will be a lucky one”, who could tread the lunar surface, explained to AFP David Parker, director of human and robotic exploration at ESA.
A European on the Moon would be ‘something inspiring for Europe, a strong sign to say: ‘Here, we hold our place in the space world and in a cooperative way”, commented Thomas Pesquet. He said he was “enthusiastic” about the European manned vehicle concept Susie, which ArianeGroup is due to present at the end of November.
Astronaut training is developing, particularly at the European Astronaut Center in Cologne, Germany, where a Selene surface simulator and its “so aggressive” dust are being built, he explained.
/ATS