Between 15.- 25. April 2011, the Austrian Space Forum and partnering institutions will conduct a set of field tests in the Spanish Rio Tinto area.  The work will focus on the Aouda.X spacesuit simulator and astrobiology experiments w.r.t. the contamination vector analysis as well as the Phileas rover prototype. Geophysical investigations and operational tests bringing together the field team and its operations team-on-site (OPS), a dedicated Mission Control Center (MCC) as well as Remote Science Support (RSS) teams will complement this field mission. We are currently solicitating proposals for scientific instruments, experiments and technical tests utilizing the spacesuit simulator Aouda.X and geophysical exploration equipment. Submissions must reach the Austrian Space Forum before the 25th of January 2011.
The timeline is as follows:

• Submission Deadline for this AO: 25. Jan. 2011, 12:00 UT
• Selection of Experiments: Early Feb 2011
• Delivery of hardware to to ÖWF Innsbruck: until 25. Mar. 2011
• Final integrated rehearsal: 01 – 03 Apr. 2011
• Simulation phase @ Rio Tinto: 18-22. Apr.  2011 (plus 2,5 days of transfer)
• Return of hardware: 26. Apr. 2011 onwards

If you require more detailed information, please contact us at gernot.groemer@oewf.org so that we can send you the detailed expedition outline.