ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer has already been on the ISS for 175 days and is now one of the candidates for the next manned moon mission. In an interview, he explains why he absolutely wants to go there and what his chances are.

ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer has already been on the ISS for 175 days and is now one of the candidates for the next manned moon mission. In an interview, he explains why he really wants to go there and what his chances are.

NASA has big plans for the future: They want to fly back to the moon and even to Mars in the long term. Would we be able to fly to Mars yet?

Theoretically yes. However, the rocket would be stuffed with food, drink and fuel, but without any experiments in the luggage. Maybe there’s still room for a flag and then we do what we did with Apollo: we put the flag in the Martian soil, say “we were here, we can do it. And bye”. But that is definitely not what we are interested in.

Why is the moon so exciting again for research?

There are two reasons: firstly, we can find answers to important research questions on the moon and secondly, we can try out technology that we also need for the planned Mars mission.

What research questions are these?

After the Apollo missions, people still thought the moon was a dusty lump of rock, there’s nothing to get there. As a result of satellite missions, we now know that the moon has many resources. The most important is the water ice in the polar regions. Just recovering and examining this ice is very valuable. Because the water ice probably came to the moon in the same way as it did to earth: by meteorites, asteroids and comets from space. This water ice still exists on the moon and it probably contains the same organic components as the water on earth many years ago. In this way we could get closer to the answer to the question: “How did life on earth originate?”

What else can the moon tell us?

The moon is almost as old as the earth, but hasn’t changed any more on the surface. It’s like a history book for us to study. Sunbeams are also “frozen” in the geology of the moon, so to speak. That’s why we collect rock samples there. We also want to set up an observatory on the moon that will pick up radio waves from the early days of the universe, before the very first suns shone. These signals are known to exist, but the Earth’s atmosphere absorbs them. With a telescope on the moon, preferably on the back, we could receive these radio waves undisturbed and look even further back than we can now with the James Webb telescope.

What has happened since the moon landing 50 years ago? What are the conditions today?

The flight has become easier and safer. Today we have much more powerful computers to control and monitor everything. The safety standards are also different. The risk of something going wrong on the moon landing used to be around 50 percent. I prefer my 99 percent certainty today! Our knowledge of the moon and space travel has grown enormously and we have a lot more technology across the board. You don’t just need a spaceship, you also need navigation, telecommunications and radio systems. Today we also have commercial players who are making a lot of steam. Think Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos. If the two didn’t want to outdo each other, we would have very different prices.

What has changed for the astronauts?

Significantly greater challenges await us on the moon than in the days of Apollo. It was important to land safely, collect samples, take off safely, and come back faster than the Soviets. The science program was more of an accessory. Today, science and research are the focus. The scientific training of the astronauts is much more extensive. Today, astronauts need more stable and flexible suits for outdoor missions on the moon. These will be critical to what astronauts can accomplish up there. The moon dust is very aggressive and sharp-edged. It gets stuck everywhere and should not get into the suit.

What is the current status of the NASA moon mission?

The launch of the Artemis 1 was initially postponed. Artemis 2 is scheduled for 2024, the first manned flight to the moon, but without a landing. For Artemis 3, the manned moon landing, I’m guessing at the end of 2025 or beginning of 2026.

The Lunar Gateway is part of the Artemis mission. Why will it play such a big role in the future?

The Gateway is a space station designed to orbit the moon and serves as a kind of gateway to the moon, but also to Mars. From Artemis 7 – around the year 2030 – European astronauts will also be able to fly to this station and land on the moon from there. The station also serves to conduct research in a different environment. And to test propulsion technologies in order to eventually use parts as a spaceship that will fly towards Mars.

What is the ESA and what are the Germans contributing to the moon mission?

The European contribution is a service module, so to speak the propulsion unit (ESM) for the Orion capsule. It is built in Bremen. Had the Americans produced the ESM in the US, it would have cost a lot more – a real bargain for them!

What is your chance of going to the moon?

We seven active ESA astronauts could all be selected for Artemis missions. Three flights are planned for Europeans towards the moon in the next few years. So my chance is three sevenths. We’ll see.

Have you already thought of a clever sentence for your first step on the moon?

Not yet. But there has to be something crisp. Neil Armstrong has already done a good job there.

You are not only an astronaut, but also the project manager of the planned moon simulation facility LUNA in Cologne with the nice slogan “We practice the moon”.

LUNA is a joint project of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The total area is about 1000 square meters. There will be a relief-like moon surface in the hall. And controllable lighting that imitates different light situations from the moon, especially in the polar regions. Then we fill the system with extremely fine lava sand from the volcanic Eifel. The sand will certainly break the technology somewhat, but better on earth than on the moon. We would also like to have areas of frozen sand. If we have to drill into rock-hard ground on the moon at -250 degrees, we need the right technique. Added to this is the “gravity offloading system”. On the moon, the weight of a body or object is reduced to one-sixth. The system can adjust the weight to one sixth for each individual. We’ll have pulleys to hang on and move around. A hammer blow, for example, also has a lot less oomph. We have to test everything.

Who will use LUNA?

Astronauts, scientists, industry representatives, students etc. will meet here. Anyone who has lunar technology can come and try it with us. Like at a picnic: everyone brings something and can use the things of others. This allows the technology to mature much faster and astronauts can give direct feedback. There will also be public tours. Even NASA is totally interested in our facility and will work on it.

What do you think makes a good astronaut?

Being an astronaut is easy. But becoming an astronaut is incredibly difficult. In short: For me, a good astronaut is healthy, fit, happy, a very good team player and excellently trained. And a good communicator to share the passion for space. “Mond-Tok” would be an idea for a new social media channel…

Read more: The article first appeared on helmholtz.de.