Update from the Field (Oman): Traveling to “Mars“

The AMADEE-18 Mars simulation is catching up speed. The field crew team arrived safely on 30th January 2018 on “Mars.” Well, not really on Mars, but at our #simulateMars site in the Dhofar desert in Oman. The landscape there is amazing, there is sand and rocks everywhere you look at, and there are no traces of green. Somewhere in this landscape, lies the AMADEE-18 base camp surrounded by small hills.

Driving to the AMADEE-18 base camp through Dhofar’s desert (c) OeWF (Florian Voggeneder)

The main priorities of the field crew were to check our provisions (as we need to have all the food available for the next four weeks), and to get the base up and running. But, what do you need to do to get a simulated Martian base up and running? Well, first of all, unload two big containers, which were shipped from Austria to Oman, and put the boxes in the right places. Then, unpack all these boxes and ensure that they are in the right place. And, of course, starting up our communication infrastructures and servers, and many, many more things.

We planned this 12^th Analog mission for over 1.5 years and finally being here at this magnificent desolation makes us proud – Field Commander Gernot Groemer.

During the bridgehead phase visitors are allowed, so on Friday 2^nd February 2018 a group of the Omani Astronomical Society came all the way from Muscat to visit the mission site and us.

Olivia Haider – MediaCom (Field Crew)

Visit from the Omani Astronomical Society (c) OeWF (Florian Voggeneder)

Update from the MSC (Innsbruck): More coffee please!

The MSC Team supporting the Field Crew from Innsbruck (c) OeWF

Darkness. Innsbruck is asleep. But not all of it! It’s 6 am and you can hear people moving around the MSC, on the search for coffee. Telephones are ringing in the background, and heaters are trying to keep the cold from outside at bay.

The Field calls to give us an update and we work on the first tasks of the day. We are supporting the base setup remotely, arranging various interviews with the field crew, and making sure everybody gets to where they need to be (film crews, VIPs, etc).

Telephones keep ringing all day. We are busy. Always. Supporting from the cold Innsbruck.

Reinhard Tlustos – Flight Director (MSC)

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