What’s next for Europe on the Moon?

More than 50 years after humans first set foot on the Moon, a new era of lunar exploration is taking shape. This time, the ambition is not simply to get there, but to learn how to explore, live and work farther from Earth.

In this episode of ESA Explores, we speak with Sara Pastor, ESA’s Lunar Projects Group Leader, about why the Moon matters, Europe’s role in its exploration and how what we learn there could help prepare us for future missions even farther away, including Mars.

This is the second episode in a three-part series exploring Europe’s future in low Earth orbit, on the Moon and on Mars.

This interview was recorded in October 2026.

Keep exploring with ESA Explores (esa.int/About_Us/EAC/ESA_Explores_podcast)!