CANDELABRA
Spartan Space
Precision artificial sun simulator for the ESA-DLR LUNA Analog Facility in Cologne, replicating the grazing-angle, high-contrast lighting conditions of the lunar south pole over a 30 × 20 m terrain.
Technical specifications
- System type
- Artificial sun simulator / precision lighting array
- Simulated environment
- Lunar south pole lighting conditions
- Coverage area
- 30 × 20 m
- Lighting characteristics
- Grazing incidence angles, tunable intensity, deep polar shadow patterns
- Control system
- Advanced programmable, tunable illumination
- Installation facility
- ESA-DLR LUNA Analog Facility, EAC, Cologne, Germany
- Customer
- German Aerospace Center (DLR)
- Contract award
- June 2025
- Delivery & integration
- Early 2026
- Supported use cases
- Astronaut training, robotic navigation, technology validation, mission simulations
About
CANDELABRA is a state-of-the-art artificial sun simulator designed and manufactured by Spartan Space under contract to the German Aerospace Center (DLR) for the ESA-DLR LUNA Analog Facility at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. Contract awarded June 2025; delivery and integration scheduled for early 2026.
LUNA is Europe’s ‘Moon on Earth’ simulation centre replicating lunar surface topography and regolith. CANDELABRA adds critical lighting fidelity by recreating the unique conditions of the lunar south pole — grazing incidence angles characteristic of polar regions near Permanently Shadowed Regions and Peaks of Eternal Light, tunable light intensity, and deep shadow patterns. The system integrates precision-engineered lighting arrays with advanced programmable control, delivering high-fidelity tunable illumination across the full 30 × 20 m LUNA terrain. CANDELABRA enables mission-critical testing of hardware, crew EVA procedures, rover navigation, and lighting/shadow-detection algorithms under photometrically accurate conditions, supporting NASA ARTEMIS and ESA lunar exploration programmes.
Documentation
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