MASTERCLASS Moon and Mars Robotic Missions with Prof. Dr. Bernard Foing


Event time

04/01/2026 12:00PM - 01:00PM CEST

Event location

Available online

Event information


In this masterclass, Prof. Dr. Bernard Foing, a leading figure in space exploration and former ESA Chief Scientist, provides an expert deep dive into the next frontier of planetary science: Moon and Mars Robotic Missions. The session explores the shift from purely orbital observation to complex surface operations, highlighting how robotics serve as the essential vanguard for future human settlement.

Key Learning Pillars

  • Moon as a Testing Ground: Discover how missions like SMART-1 and the Artemis program utilize the Moon as a "Village" for testing sustainable technologies. This includes In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), where robots extract oxygen and water from lunar regolith.

  • Mars Exploration Architecture: Analyze the technical hurdles of Mars Rover missions, focusing on autonomous navigation, sample return logistics, and the search for biosignatures in the Martian soil.

  • The Robot-Human Synergy: Prof. Foing details the concept of "Moon-Mars Analogues"—Earth-based simulations where robotic prototypes are tested in extreme environments to perfect tele-operation and AI-driven decision-making.

The masterclass emphasizes that robots are no longer just tools, but foundational infrastructure. By establishing robotic outposts first, we mitigate risks for human pioneers. Prof. Foing’s insights offer a roadmap for the "Multi-Planetary" era, bridging the gap between current laboratory prototypes and the first robotic colonies on the Red Planet.

About Prof. Bernard Foing:

President Space Renaissance Intl, CEO LUNEX ILEWG EuroMoonMars, EuroSpaceHub,  Prof Leiden/Riga/NUAA/BIT, IPSA , Vice-chair COSPAR PEX Exploration Panel & SCB Commissioned ESA chief scientist, father and science lead  of  SMART1 lunar mission

Prof Bernard Foing is CEO of LUNEX, partner of EuroSpaceHub, President of Space Renaissance International, Executive Director of International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG), director of EuroMoonMars Earth Space Innovation EMMESI programme, and Prof at Leiden, Riga, IPSA, VU Amsterdam, EPFL, ISU. Full member of Intl Academy of Astronautics. Vice-chair COSPAR exploration panel and SCB commission. Member of IAF committees and chair of IAF ITACCUS . He served as ESA Chief Scientist, and was elected President of ESTEC Staff Association Committee 2012-2017 (representing 1400 ESTEC colleagues). He performs Space and MoonMars research and MoonVillage studies and activities. He has worked at ESA ESTEC as visiting scientist, staff scientist, Research Unit Leader, Head of Research Division, Chief scientist and Senior Exploration Officer.
He has been the lead Project scientist, father of SMART-1 first European mission to the Moon, from conception in 1996 to lunar final impact in 2006. He has led studies of lunar orbiters and landers, and technology developments. With ILEWG, he has been promoting international collaborative projects, the preparation for a global robotic village, and a human International Lunar Base.

Co-investigator of space missions instruments such as TRC, SOHO, XMM, Mars-Express, COROT, BIOPAN, Chandrayaan-1, Expose/International Space Station, ExoMars.  He worked 3 years with the European Southern Observatory ESO La Silla and French embassy in Chile and joined the French National Centre for Research CNRS.  After studies at Lycée Louis-Le-Grand, Ecole Normale Supérieure Education & Technology (ENSET Cachan now ENS Paris-Saclay), a national competition as Agrégé Professor of Physics, he obtained a PhD in Astrophysics and Space Techniques using a sounding rocket experiment (France CNRS and US New Mexico, Boulder CU, Harvard Observatory).


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