Back to the Moon – Europe's next big Step in Space
June 16, 2026 | 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. | Haus der Bildung (Mülheimer Platz 1, 53111 Bonn – room change
The Moon is once again moving to the center of international spaceflight ambitions – as a scientific testbed, a potential source of raw materials, and a proving ground for future missions to Mars. Europe does not intend merely to participate, but to actively shape this renewed lunar focus: through robotic precursor missions, complex infrastructure concepts, and, in the longer term, its own human presence. This session explores the strategic, technological, and political dimensions of Europe’s lunar ambitions.
At the heart of the discussion is the ESA–DLR project LUNA, located at the DLR site in Cologne: a simulation environment for lunar missions in which procedures, equipment, and cooperation scenarios are tested under highly realistic conditions. The plans, technologies (including Flexhab and EDEN-LUNA), and future perspectives of this European “miniature” lunar base will be presented by project representatives themselves. In addition, the session will address Europe’s contribution to the Artemis initiative, robotic exploration missions such as HERACLES, the role of German industry and research institutions, and the planned expansion of the ESA site in Cologne-Porz as a center for human and scientific lunar research. The session makes clear: the Moon is no longer a distant object of aspiration – it has become a strategic touchstone for Europe’s ambitions in space.
The event is organized in cooperation with the German Space Agency, the Federation of German Industries (BDI), the Space Command of the German Armed Forces, the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), the Society for Security Policy (GSP), the research network “Security and Technology in Space” (SichTRaum), the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), the Bonn/Rhine-Sieg Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK Bonn/Rhein-Sieg), the Bonn Adult Education Center (Volkshochschule Bonn), and the student association ASTRA.
Ablauf
Welcome:
Dr. Enrico Fels
Managing Director of the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS)
Lecture followed by discussion:
Maria Hallinger
Research assistant for the LUNA project at the German Aerospace Center (DLR)
In close cooperation with:
