Healthy like an astronaut: the two suit testers for the OEWF spacesuit simulator and their two backups are currently undergoing their final medical checks at the Institute for Sports and Alpine medicine and Health Tourism at the Natters Hospital near Innsbruck, Austria.

Physical check of the Aouda.X suit testers for the Rio Tinto 2011 mission

Ulrich Luger, one of the flight crew members for the upcoming Rio Tinto Mars analogue mission, finished his medical on Friday, 4th of March, six weeks prior to the expedition simulation. The final Go/No Go will be made by the Biomedical Engineers, a team of medical doctors and sports researchers under the lead of Thomas Luger, senior physician at the Medical University Hospital Innsbruck.

Ulrich Luger at the beginning and the end of the ergometry, whilst the last lactate-sample is taken from his ear.

The tests included ergometry and spirometry, as well as a detailed blood laboratory and medical history, basically the same profiling athletes undergo on a regular basis. With these tests, the BME team at the Mission Control ensures, that only testers fit for the strenuous extra-vehicular activity are allowed.

Ulrich Luger testing his lung capacity during the spirometry right after the exhaustive tests.