A rover on its way to the Moon – while already in action at LUNA
| Space
A rover on its way to the Moon – while already in action at LUNA
Final preparations for the Tenacious rover
The Tenacious rover is being prepared for deployment in the LUNA facility. Due to the fine regolith dust in the hall, the work is carried out in full protective clothing.
A little house on the Moon? A sweet little one, perhaps with white shutters, a green door and otherwise all in red? It would certainly stand out against the barren, grey lunar landscape.
The return of humans to the Moon is a definite plan – but where and how will they live? Most likely without luxury or frills, but rather practically and adapted to the harsh environment. Still, as a space farer, you're allowed to dream. Or to take delight in a small work of art.
But one thing at a time. Several lunar landers have recently made their way to the Moon. 'Resilience', launched in January 2025, is headed for a landing site in Mare Frigoris, quite far south. It is expected to arrive mid-year.
Engineering model of the Tenacious lunar rover
Tenacious stands on our preparation platform in the LUNA hall. In the background, a lander can be seen – not Resilience, but another.
The Resilience lander, operated by the Japanese company ispace, carries a small Luxembourg-built rover called Tenacious – and although this rover is already en route to the Moon, it recently visited our LUNA Analog Facility in Cologne.
Tests are underway in the lunar simulation facility, run by DLR and ESA, for Japan's HAKUTO-R2 mission using a rover from ispace. Spanning 700 square metres, LUNA offers a realistic lunar landscape with fine regolith – dust similar to that found on the Moon. LUNA project lead Andrea Casini explains how the project has fulfilled a lifelong dream – astronauts also train here for their work on the lunar surface. The conditions replicate the real challenges on the Moon as closely as possible, allowing new technologies and procedures for future missions to be put to the test.
Video: LUNA facility for future Moon missions
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Video: LUNA facility for future Moon missions
Tests are underway in the lunar simulation facility, run by DLR and ESA, for Japan's HAKUTO-R2 mission using a rover from ispace. Spanning 700 square metres, LUNA offers a realistic lunar landscape with fine regolith – dust similar to that found on the Moon. LUNA project lead Andrea Casini explains how the project has fulfilled a lifelong dream – astronauts also train here for their work on the lunar surface. The conditions replicate the real challenges on the Moon as closely as possible, allowing new technologies and procedures for future missions to be put to the test.
How is that possible? It's no strange quantum phenomenon. It's simply that, in spaceflight, an Engineering Model is almost always built alongside the Flight Model that will actually be used on a mission. The Engineering Model is designed to be as close to the Flight Model as possible, and this was the version we hosted. The goal was to test how best to operate the rover on the Moon, shortly before its real mission.
Testing for the Moon – on Earth
Raking for science
A crater in the LUNA hall is being prepared for Tenacious to explore.
Our LUNA hall is ideal for this. We can simulate different inclines and adjust the lighting to replicate lunar conditions. Rover experts can can determine the optimal driving speed, identify angles to the Sun that should be avoided, or test navigation using only the rover’s video feed. One key advantage: in the LUNA hall, they can safely explore the rover's operational limits.
The rover is also equipped with a shovel from a Swedish company, which will be used to analyse the fine lunar dust. This tool will also be tested in LUNA. How does the mechanism work? What can be learned about the regolith's physical properties from the force required to move the shovel? These findings could also help future missions.
The small test rover kicks up quite a bit of (lunar) dust in the LUNA research facility run by DLR and ESA: the micro-rover Tenacious, developed by ispace-Europe, is being prepared here under realistic Moon-like conditions for its final deployment in space. The original model of the rover for ispace’s HAKUTO-R Mission 2 will soon arrive on the Moon. There, it will explore the surface and test techniques for collecting lunar dust. It will be operated remotely from Earth, with roboticists relying on the rover's camera feed – not an easy task! LUNA’s cutting-edge test environment in Cologne offers the perfect place to practice and rehearse key manoeuvres with Tenacious before the real mission.
Video: Moon mission in preparation – rover tests in the LUNA hall
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Video: Moon mission in preparation – rover tests in the LUNA hall
The small test rover kicks up quite a bit of (lunar) dust in the LUNA research facility run by DLR and ESA: the micro-rover Tenacious, developed by ispace-Europe, is being prepared here under realistic Moon-like conditions for its final deployment in space. The original model of the rover for ispace’s HAKUTO-R Mission 2 will soon arrive on the Moon. There, it will explore the surface and test techniques for collecting lunar dust. It will be operated remotely from Earth, with roboticists relying on the rover's camera feed – not an easy task! LUNA’s cutting-edge test environment in Cologne offers the perfect place to practice and rehearse key manoeuvres with Tenacious before the real mission.
Tenacious just before the 'happening': a little Swedish house for the Moon. The rover carries the artwork across the uneven regolith floor of the hall, navigating obstacles along the way.
The rover will place a small red Swedish-style house with a green door on the lunar surface. No, this is not a new business venture for a construction company – it's the work of artist Mikael Genberg ('The Moonhouse'). Mikael has been pursuing this idea for around 25 years, and the small house has even made it to the ISS already. Now, it will finally be placed on the Moon by Tenacious. This, too, is being practised in the LUNA hall – after all, the first house on the Moon should stand firmly in the regolith. And if it ends up tilted on a slope? The experts can refine their technique to right it using the rover's shovel.
Shovel test
Under the glow of a low-hanging 'Sun', Tenacious tests its shovel
After a few months of operation, the LUNA team is proud to play a small role in this first-of-its-kind – and hopefully successful – landing and research mission on the Moon. And who knows, perhaps we will soon see a whole, colourful village up there.
Mission accomplished – the first house stands on the Moon
And now for some photos from different angles: the house is in place...
