Space researchers rehearse one last time in a hall in Maria Lanzendorf before heading to Armenia to simulate a month-long Mars mission.
Maria Lanzendorf in the Bruck an der Leitha district will soon be the center of Mars research. In a hall of forwarder Gebrüder Weiss, the logistics partner of the Austrian Space Forum (ÖWF), the material that will be used to simulate a major Mars mission in a few weeks is being put to the test for three days. “It is the last chance to check whether everything works,” explains ÖWF director Gernot Grömer. This includes both the spacesuits and the autonomous Mars rovers.
Once everything has been checked, the highly sensitive equipment worth millions – much of which is prototypes – is neatly packed into two containers before being trucked to Armenia for several days. “This is a special logistical challenge. However, this has fewer consequences for transport and more obstacles at customs,” explains Jürgen Bauer, Managing Director of Gebrüder Weiss.
In early March, the Caucasus republic will essentially become Mars for a month thanks to many landscape similarities. Preparation for the ÖWF’s 14th and most extensive “analogue mission” will take two years; 250 researchers from 26 countries are involved. “Austria will thus become the center of Mars research,” says Grömer.
Because the red planet is full of dangers and risks, including the cold, heavy storms and particulate matter, it is all the more important to simulate many of these in advance on Earth. “I expect that the first manned mission to Mars will take place in twenty to thirty years. We try to imitate the work processes that will take place there as closely as possible. We are grateful for every error we discover now so that we can correct it,” explains the ÖWF director.
A total of 15 experiments are planned, focusing on the areas of geosciences, robotics and human factors. Autonomous driving is practiced, as well as cooperation between humans and machines, oxygen production and the effects of stress on genetics. A robot will also control a greenhouse in which fast-growing nutritional supplements such as cress are grown.
Source: Krone
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