The grainy videos from the Apollo Moon landings are treasured historical artifacts. For many of us, that footage will be lodged in our minds until our final synaptic spark sputters out. But like all technology since the space race days, video technology has advanced enormously, and the next Moon landings will be captured in high-definition video. The ESA is so focused on getting it right that they're practicing filming lunar landings in a special studio that mimics the conditions on the lunar surface.
The LUNA facility in Cologne, Germany, is designed to simulate lunar conditions. It's run jointly by the ESA and the DLR, the German Aerospace Center. It simulates everything from natural lighting to lunar dust. It opened in September 2024 and is used to prepare scientists, astronauts, engineers, and mission specialists for working on the Moon. It covers 700 sq. m. and features 900 tons of processed volcanic rock to mimic the Moon's ubiquitous and problematic dust.
The goal is to produce realistic video clips of lunar operations that mission planners can use as reference files. Clips will show astronauts disembarking from landers, exploring the surface, and even capturing images from astronauts' helmet visors. There will also be static images and videos where both the astronaut and the camera are in motion.
Lunar dust is notorious for causing problems. Unlike Earth dust, which is ground down and has rounded edges because of weathering, lunar dust is sharp and jagged. It's an ever-present hazard. Because of the Moon's weaker gravity, it's also launched into the air with every footstep. It persists there due to the weaker gravity and distorts captured images.
This image shows ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer during a rehearsal in a realistic Moon setting at the LUNA facility in Germany. Another crew member can be seen reflected in the astronaut's helmet visor. Image Credit: ESA/M. Cowan. ESA Standard Licence.
The image specialist must avoid cables, curtains, and other scene-setting materials at LUNA. The team tested various angles and lighting solutions to create the most realistic simulated images and videos possible. LUNA also features several artificial suns that create realistic lighting, including shadowy craters and rocks.
This image shows ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer wearing a spacesuit and taking pictures at LUNA. He's using a prototype of the camera that will be used on the Moon.
The LUNA simulations are only the front-facing part of capturing future Moon landings. 28 nations sent experts to serve on the CCSDS, the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems. The CCSDS determines which types of files and compression will be used to bring data and video home from the lunar surface. We're accustomed to brilliant images from space telescopes, but a lot goes into it. Only limited bandwidth is available when transmitting from the Moon to Earth, and it must be put to the best use. Some of the video clips are taken specifically to test different ways of encoding data for transmission.
These reference images and videos are essential for mission planners from different parts of lunar missions. They serve as images in common, allowing teams to have better, more informed conversations.
The days of grainy videos from the lunar surface are in the past. While the Apollo missions delivered video with only 10 frames per second, Artemis will provide 60 fps.
This is a still image taken from the TV broadcast of the Apollo 11 moonwalk. Future videos will be 60 frames per second. Image Credit: NASA
The first images of the Moon's surface were black-and-white because there wasn't enough bandwidth. Bandwidth is still a problem, but it has improved since those days. Bandwidth restrictions will be a thing of the past when the ESA's Moonlight Initiative places a constellation of five satellites around the Moon.
The LUNA facility allows mission personnel to prepare for the Moon's high-bandwidth future.
Melanie Cowan is the ESA's representative on the CCSDS's Motion Imagery and Applications Working Group. She has more than two decades of experience working with space imagery. "I had a glimpse of what it may be like on the Moon. One cannot get any closer to the real thing. It was a special and challenging experience to film and photograph in this surreal environment," Cowan said.
Press Release: Dust, light, action
Press Release: How to capture Moon landing videos – from grainy to HD
