The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Carlos Soares of the Cont amination Control Engineering team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) explained that the problem begins during touchdown – depending on the size of lander involved, its rocket thrusters could dislodge tonnes of lunar regolith during touchdown, which might then lodge on lander surfaces as well as covering the entire landing area. JPL has therefore developed a complex modelling-based framework to simulate lunar landing events, starting with recreating Apollo landings, to help enable degradation assessments.