European astronauts trained for future moon missions on Wednesday in a lunar simulator in Germany. The European Space Agency (ESA) has negotiated for three spots on future moon missions under the NASA-led Artemis program by 2030, depending on the program's progress.

The Moon may be 384,400km away, but an accurate replica of its surface has opened in Germany. Astronauts from around the world will use it to train for visits to the moon.

Europe is seeking to place itself at the forefront of missions to the Moon with a facility covering almost 1,000 square metres that reproduces the lunar surface to train astronauts for future missions.