Europe gets ready to conquer the Moon

Mass media outlets haven’t paid much attention to the European Space Agency’s space programme. And it is in vain, because the ESA has been stepping up its efforts in this area.\n

The world is witnessing a true space war similar to the one waged between the USA and the USSR in the 20th century. However, the ongoing one involves not just the two countries but half the planet. China became the undisputed leader in terms of successful space launches in 2018 and the European Union, ranked 4th, is on par.

The countries focus mainly on the Moon with a view to its further colonisation. The ESA (the European counterpart of NASA) has no clear-cut plans in this regard, but there is plenty of information about the ongoing training of would-be pilgrims. It is customary to call them selenauts in the expert community.

Methods of selenaut training are varied, with mainly US equipment and its modifications involved in the process. The ESA has created a special structure - Pangea-X - for the purpose, which simulates the lunar terrain and is used in the physical training of would-be space explorers.

The "selenaut's field book" - a tablet connected to the spacesuit is a very impressive gadget that features a huge database containing all the information a selenaut may need. It improves visibility and performs a number of other functions. According to the ESA, the gadget will be indispensable in the upcoming mission.