Austrian Space Forum seeks new Analog Astronauts to participate in future simulated Moon/Mars Missions

Application Deadline 10th October 2018

The Austrian Space Forum (Österreichisches Weltraum Forum, OeWF) is seeking six volunteers to complete its international analog astronaut corps. Citizens of the European Union, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, who are between 25 and 45 years old and have a background in science or engineering, can submit their application until the 10th of October 2018.
Successful candidates will undergo an extensive training using the Austrian Space Forum’s spacesuit prototype. Two of the newly selected analog astronauts will participate in the next Mars analog mission to take place in 2020 involving international institutions from science, industry and academia. The Austrian Space Forum’s analog astronauts will also act as ambassadors of science, technology and engineering, interact with the public and media and have access to a wide network of spaceflight experts, industry and politics.

Analog Astronauts Dr. Carmen Köhler and Dr. Stefan Dobrovolny during Mars Analog Mission in Oman in February 2018, (c) OeWF

„The Austrian Space Forum is one of the world’s leading institutions to conduct simulated Mars missions aiming to further the human exploration of the red planet. We are using a spacesuit prototype weighing 45kg that we have especially engineered to emulate the conditions of a human Mars mission. Our analog astronauts play a key role as they conduct a wide range of internationally developed experiments wearing this spacesuit prototype. Therefore they need to meet very specific requirements, such as experience in a technological, engineering or scientific field, preferably commercial or military pilot training as well as fluency in English and preferably another European language. We are looking for dedicated women and men with excellent mental and physical health and a body height ranging from 165 to 190 cm“,

says Dr. Gernot Grömer, administrative director of the Austrian Space Forum.

„I consider myself privileged to work in one of the cutting edge fields of scientific exploration paving the way for future human Mars missions. As part of an outstanding international team of women and men I have gained valuable experiences in the fields of science and research as well as public outreach,”

, says Dr. Carmen Köhler, who has been a member of the analog astronaut corps since 2015. Köhler adds,

„My fellow analog astronauts and I have the opportunity to gain unique experiences and we gladly share our insights to inspire future generations of scientists and engineers. I’m looking forward to working with our new colleagues and hope that a lot women will apply for this special opportunity.“,

Further information on how to apply and more details regarding the call for the 2019 class of analog astronauts can be found here classof2019.oewf.org

About the Analog Astronauts
The analog astronauts chosen for a Mars analog mission are carefully selected and trained to execute most of the science field activities. They also act as a public face and represent the mission as STEM-ambassadors for media and educational activities.The analog astronauts train to conduct spaceflight-simulations in Mars-like regions on earth, testing and evaluating procedures as well as human factors and workflows pertinent to human Mars exploration.They conduct experiments in field campaigns in an international and interdisciplinary environment, typically lasting from a few days up to one month. Analog astronauts contribute to the development of the OeWF’s spacesuit prototype and many other relevant instruments and equipment

About the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF)
The Austrian Space Forum is one of the world’s leading institutions conducting Mars analog missions, thus paving the way for the future human exploration of the red planet.
Experts from a broad variety of disciplines as well as the spaceflight sector constitute the core of the OeWF’s continued endeavors that on a regular basis include national and international institutions from science and industry to work at the cutting edge of scientific research. On doing so the Austrian Space Forum is using its excellent contacts to opinion leaders, politics and media to further and internationally propagate Austrian top-level research.
The Austrian Space Forum also contributes significantly to inspiring and educating young people in the sectors of science, technology and engineering. The OeWF offers internships to students and pupils, its experts supervise scientific papers on a regular basis. www.oewf.org

Medienkontakt:
Mag. Monika Fischer
Media Officer
Austrian Space Forum
Tel: +43 699 1213 4610

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