In October 2021, our 13th Mars analog mission took place. Incredible, already a year has passed. Our extensive Mars simulation in the Negev Desert in Israel brought enormous challenges for both the technology and the teams involved. We do all this again and again with passion and expertise to pave the way for future astronautical Mars missions.

Sophie Gruber from the Leadership Team gives us a little insight into the preparation and execution of such a complex international Mars simulation in the following interview.

Sophie, why was the Negev Desert, or more precisely the Ramon Crater, chosen as the test site for AMADEE-20?

Sophie: The test site in the Negev Desert was chosen mainly because of its geological and topographical similarity to Mars. The area bears a strong resemblance to the volcanic provinces of Tharsis and Elysium on Mars, thanks to the trenches present there. The search for their origin has led to the proposal of a mechanism of trench evolution related to volcanic tectonic models of terrestrial rifting.

How far in advance of such a large mission do you start planning?

Sophie: I still remember the first scouting trip to Israel, in March 2017, so you can say the first preparations for AMADEE-20 started four years before the actual start of the mission. Leaving aside the pandemic that played into this, I would think that you need at least two years of lead time to build relationships with the host country, to determine the test site and finally to select the experiments and train the procedures for the mission.

How challenging was it to postpone the entire mission by one year due to the Corona pandemic?

Sophie: The additional preparation time certainly suited some research teams. However, it was difficult for us in the project management to cushion the often unpredictable effects of the pandemic to enable the mission to be carried out safely. For example, it was a considerable logistical extra effort to ensure that all participants could travel to Israel, to our analogue Mars, despite the tightened entry regulations.

How was the mission structured (mission architecture, habitat, teams involved)?

Sophie: A mission of this kind always takes place on two planets. The Mission Support Center (MSC) in Innsbruck represented the terrestrial part and the habitat, the accommodation including supplies, in the Ramon Crater in Israel represented Mars. Our analog astronauts lived in isolation in this habitat for three weeks. This meant that they were only allowed to leave the habitat in our space suit simulators to carry out planned experiments. These were supported by the many teams at MSC. The difficult part was the 10-minute time delay in communication, which made it difficult for us in the MSC to answer questions from Mars quickly and efficiently.

How many people were involved in the AMADEE-20 Mars simulation over the entire period, i.e. planning, preparation, execution?

Sophie: That’s difficult to answer, because we often don’t know how many PhD students use the results of the mission for their theses or how many people were involved in customs clearance. However, one of our estimates was about 200 researchers from 25 countries. And without the enthusiasm and help of all the volunteers, such a mission would not be possible.

AMADEE-20 was not your first OeWF mission. Would you want to manage such a project again?

Sophie: All the missions I have been able to support or lead so far have been very special experiences that I would not want to miss! At the moment, however, I’m about to start my doctorate, so unfortunately I won’t be able to work to the same extent as before. However, I can’t wait to get to know new experiments, new team members and new project partners on the next mission. I can’t really do without OeWF Mars analogue missions ;-).

Thank you, Sophie!

Simulating astronaut-robotic surface activities in terrestrial Mars analogue environments has become an efficient tool for developing exploration architectures and strategies. This method facilitates understanding the benefits but also the limitations of future astronautical missions. It also helps in the development of scientific procedures to support the analog astronauts as efficiently as possible in the exploration of the terrestrial Mars analogue environment through technology and workflows.

More detailed information about the mission: https://oewf.org/en/amadee-20/

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