On April 05 2024 the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) concluded its 4-week Mars Analog Mission AMADEE-24 that had been hosted by the Armenian Aerospace Agency. The analog astronauts and supporting teams in Armenia and Austria overcame some challenging situations to successfully conclude this emulation of a crewed exploration of the Red Planet. 200 scientists from 26 countries whose equipment, rovers and experiments had been chosen for the expedition now await transfer of the obtained data.

Tight Schedule, Meticulous Preparation

Anika Mehlis, commander of the analog-astronaut-crew: “We had a tight schedule for the AMADEE-24 mission that included 15 experiments from geology, engineering, robotics and psychology as well as a number of out-of-habitat activities using our advanced spacesuit-simulator. As soon as the unfavorable weather conditions had gone, we were able to requalify the station in a very intense and expedited manner.”

After two weeks of intense research at the Mars analog site in Armenia the Austrian Space Forum’s meticulous preparations and planning were put to the test when unfavorable weather conditions in the mountainous terrain damaged the roof of the habitat where the Austrian Space Forum’s analog astronauts – an international crew of highly trained experts – lived and worked. This also caused the generator to fail and left the analog astronauts without electricity. Following the OeWF’s chain of priorities: “Safety/Science/Simulation” the decision was taken to move the analog astronauts out of the habitat until the situation had been taken care of. Most of the indoor-experiments could be continued during this period. Activities outside the habitat (EVAs) during which the analog astronauts wear the spacesuit-simulator and require monitoring from the OPS station inside the habitat were put on hold.

Intense. Demanding. Complex

Gernot Grömer, director of the Austrian Space Forum: ”Intense. Demanding. Complex: This has been the most challenging mission for the Austrian Space Forum so far. Our international teams at the Mission Support Center in Vienna/Austria had to re-schedule and prioritize an already complex mission plan in close cooperation with the internationally involved scientists, taking into account many dependencies of simulated spaceflight operations. Thanks to an outstanding flight control team and a formidable can-do-done attitude of the field crews, most of the experiments were conducted successfully and the scientists received test data now being analyzed for a later publication in peer-reviewed papers.”

The mission was directed by a dedicated Mission Support Center in Vienna/Austria. In Armenia the OeWF’s analog astronauts were supported by a team of experts called GOST (Ground Operations and Support Team) who safeguarded the analog astronauts during out-of-habitat activities (EVAs) and serviced the rovers.

About AMADEE-24
AMADEE-24 was a Mars analog simulation in Armenia, managed by the Austrian Space Forum hosted by the Armenian Aerospace Agency. The expedition was carried out from March05 to April05 2024 in a Martian terrestrial analog and directed by a dedicated Mission Support Center in Austria. A small field crew of highly trained analog astronauts with spacesuit simulators lived in isolation in a specially designed habitat and conducted experiments provided by international scientists preparing for future human and robotic Mars exploration missions. In Armenia they were supported by GOST (Ground Operations and Support Team) without directly interacting. Following the adjustments of the mission’s schedule and experiment-procedures the analog astronauts, GOST and the teams at the Mission Support Center could ensure the success of the mission.200 scientists from 26 countries whose equipment, rovers and experiments had been chosen for the expedition were involved.
 Gernot Grömer about the importance of analog missions: ”Simulating Mars human-robotic surface activities in terrestrial analogs has evolved into an efficient tool for developing exploration mission architectures. They facilitate to understand the advantages and limitations of future human planetary missions, becoming an added value for the development of remote science operations, helping to understand the constraints and opportunities of the technology and workflows.”

ABOUT THE AUSTRIAN SPACE FORUM
The Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) is a private space research institution, as ESA’s first Ground Based Facility in Austria we operate a vertical treadmill to simulate different gravity-levels, and a network for spaceflight specialists, business/industry and people interested in space. We conduct Mars Analog Missions on a regular bases, involving scientists and institutions from all over the world. The OeWF is playing a leading role in two international Cube-Sat missions that detected space debris in Near Earth Orbit from 2022 to 2024. We cooperate with international research institutions and companies and are in constant dialog with the media and decision makers. With 250 members from 20+ nations, the Austrian Space Forum focuses on scientific excellence, starts, shapes and networks careers and has been inspiring people all over the world since 1998. https://oewf.org

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

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