ILEWG EuroMoonMars Highlights 2018-2020

The EuroMoonMars Programme started in 2009 by ILEWG, ESA ESTEC, NASA, VU Amsterdam and supported by various space agencies, universities and academic or industrial partners has to bring together : space science and astronomy, Earth and planetary sciences and biology, technology, field work campaigns in extreme environments, resource utilisation and economy, human factors, international cooperation. Space and society, bridging to Arts and social sciences through the ArtMoonMars initiative.

We shall describe how EuroMoonMars can contribute to European astronomy and space science: public and political engagement education in areas of education, research, innovation, culture, youth and sport policies, and industry, digital single market, space and safety, policies .

The International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG) is a public forum sponsored by the world's space agencies to support "international cooperation towards a world strategy for the exploration and utilization of the Moon - our natural satellite" (International Lunar Workshop, Beatenberg (CH), June 1994). ILEWG was founded by several space agencies: ASA, ASI, BNSC, CNES, DARA, ESA, ISAS, NASA, NASDA, RSA. ILEWG has been organising since 1994 the ICEUM International Conferences on Exploration & Utilisation of the Moon with published proceedings, and where community declarations have been prepared and endorsed by community participants. ILEWG has co-organised and co-sponsored lunar sessions at EGU, COSPAR, EPSC. Declarations from ICEUM conferences  cover all aspects of science, technology, cooperation, industry, society and inspiration. ICEUM13 took place together with COSPAR in Pasadena in 2018, and ICEUM14 with EPSC-DPS in Geneva in 2019. Next ICEUM15 is to take place with COSPAR B/PEX symposia (co-chairs: C. Pieters, B. Foing, G. Schmidt, C. Heinicke), in Sydney in January 2021.

ILEWG founded in 2009 the EuroMoonMars initiative, which comprises field campaigns in Moon-Mars analogue environments.The EuroMoonMars field campaigns have been organised in specific locations of technical, scientific and exploration interest. The campaigns started with EuroGeoMars2009 (Utah MDRS, 24 Jan-1 Mar 2009) with ILEWG, ESA ESTEC, NASA Ames, VU Amsterdam and GWU and continued yearly at MDRS and other extreme field sites on Earth.

The EuroMoonMars campaigns consist of research activities for data analysis, instruments tests and development, field tests in Moon-Mars analogues, pilot projects, training and hands-on workshops and outreach activities.

In 2019 ILEWG contributed to IgLuna first ESA Lab inter-University demonstrator project,  hosted by the Swiss Space Centre (SSC) with the vision to create an analogue habitat inside lunar ice caps. The campaigns were held from 17–30 June 2019 and involved 18 student teams from 9 countries across Europe. The students developed modular demonstrators and tested them during a field test conducted inside the moon-like extreme environment of the Glacier Palace inside the Zermatt Matterhorn glacier.

Currently, ILEWG is collaborating with the International Moonbase Alliance (IMA)] and the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) on a series of EuroMoonMars, IMA and HI-SEAS (EMMIHS) campaigns, at the HI-SEAS analogue facilities in Hawaii.

ArtMoonMars, Moon Village & ITACCUS (IAF ITACCUS Committee on Socio Cultural Utilisation of Space) activities were performed, with emphasis on events and workshops. The Moon Village is an open concept proposed with the goal of a sustainable human and robotic presence on the lunar surface as an ensemble where multiple users can carry out multiple activities. We want to involve everybody including Socio cultural and Artistic aspects. Why ArtMoonMars? Artists can convey multiple messages of the community including planetary science, life sciences, astronomy, fundamental research, resources utilisation, human spaceflight, peaceful cooperation, economical development, inspiration, training & capacity building.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Lunar_Exploration_Working_Group