One geology step closer to the Moon

What happened

ESA astronaut Pablo Álvarez Fernández , NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli and Kimiya Yui from the Japanese space agency took part in PANGAEA’s 10th edition . The astronauts learned to identify Moon and Mars rocks, interpret their origin and understand the history behind them.

Together, they embarked on a science journey that grew in complexity as the crew faced exploration challenges in real environments. Over three intensive weeks, the training took the astronauts from theory-packed lessons to the wild outdoors across Europe, including the Bletterbach canyon in Italy, the Ries crater in Germany and the volcanic landscapes of Lanzarote in Spain.

This edition was dedicated to Riccardo Pozzobon , a PANGAEA instructor who passed away one year ago while taking part in a scientific expedition in Alaska. Space explorers must do more than recognise an interesting rock. They need to agree on priorities, divide tasks and communicate with the ground, adapting their exploration as the terrain challenges their plans.