Lunar basis

As we seek to further explore our universe and gain independent access to space, lunar exploration remains an important part of ESA’s ambitions and a good basis for testing cargo operations, in-situ resource technologies, rovers and more.

The Argonaut lander is in an intensive study phase, and the XR team uses the latest technologies to develop, test, and study its capabilities to support future missions on the Moon.

"We're using VR simulations to test design ideas for lunar systems like Argonaut, avoiding the usual cost and logistics of building and deploying real-world prototypes," says ESA research fellow Tommy Nilsson. "By simulating parts of Argonaut's operation and getting input from experts, we're figuring out how VR can help shape its development", he adds.