On the last day of the year, we reflect on the most significant moments of the OeWF year. From the successful Mars simulation in Armenia to the farewell of our 2nd CubeSat ADLER-2 and the advancement of our educational initiatives – here are the most memorable pictures and videos from 2024.

1Dress Rehearsal for AMADEE-24
In January, the second and final dress rehearsal for the AMADEE-24 Mars simulation took place in Vienna and Maria Lanzendorf. Such preparation weekends are essential for training and perfecting all processes of a complex simulation. Along with a fully staffed Mission Support Center, all experiments, analog astronauts, and support staff were on site. The photo shows analog astronaut Thomas Wijnen and the coordinator of the Armenian steering committee, Hayk Aslanyan © OeWF/vog.photo

2Experiencing Space Research Up Close
During the dress rehearsal, Gebrüder Weiss employees and their families attended the training sessions. Our education team provided a special program that brought space exploration to life for younger audiences through children’s spacesuits and Mars rovers © OeWF/vog.photo

3 Moving into the Habitat
On March 12, 2024, our six OeWF analog astronauts moved into the Armash Mars Analog Research Station. The station, situated in the Mars-like mountainous landscape of the Ararat region, provided ideal conditions for the simulation. © OeWF/vog.photo

4 An Inspiring Sight
During the AMADEE-24 mission, snow-covered Mount Ararat provided a breathtaking backdrop. The photo captures analog astronaut Anika Mehlis on a quad bike with the majestic 5,137-meter peak rising in the background. Such awe-inspiring landscapes could have a similar effect on future Mars astronauts: providing mental refreshment and helping them cope with the challenges of extended isolation. © Julia/ArmSpaceForum

5Mission Support Center Vienna
The Mission Support Center (MSC) in Vienna (“Earth”) supported the analog astronauts and GOST team on “Mars.” The MSC created daily flight plans and maintained close contact with experiment teams to ensure smooth operations. Despite a 10-minute communication delay between Earth and Mars, the MSC team efficiently responded to and resolved new challenges on “Mars. © OeWF/vog.photo

6Weather Challenges
Adverse weather conditions made AMADEE-24 one of our most challenging missions to date. The unpredictable weather complicated operations, as evidenced by this image of an EVA (extravehicular activity) in wet conditions. Thanks to the exceptional training of both the analog astronauts and Mission Support Center team, these situations were successfully managed.© OeWF/vog.photo

7Annual Meeting of the European Geosciences Union (EGU)
Following the AMADEE-24 simulation, EGU 2024 took place in Vienna. At our initiative, a special session on crewed analog science was introduced and received widespread interest. The photo shows RSS team leader Dr. Seda Ozdemir-Fritz and Selina Schindler presenting an OeWF poster about the AMADEE-24 experiment GEOS-24 at the conference.

8Farewell to ADLER-2 In August, we bid farewell to our second CubeSat, ADLER-2. The successor to ADLER-1, launched aboard a SpaceX rocket on April 15, 2023, completed its mission when it burned up in Earth’s orbit in mid-August 2024. Its mission to better quantify small pieces of space debris provided valuable data that will enhance prediction models.

9Visit from Arizona
The fall brought valuable knowledge exchange with the team from the SAM Mars Simulation Facility at the University of Arizona. Led by Kai Staats, we engaged in two days of discussions about future technologies and simulation methods. Such international collaborations are essential for developing new ideas and approaches and advancing research.

10 ESA Vertical treadmill
Since the end of August, the OeWF has been home to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) vertical treadmill – the first ESA Ground-Based Facility in Austria. This equipment simulates different gravity levels, enabling physiological studies for lunar and Martian environments. Research projects can secure funding through the ESA CORA program.

11Explore Education Project The OeWF’s educational initiatives reached new heights in 2024, expanding accessibility to more schools and interested parties. Through the EU EXPLORE project, we developed professional children’s spacesuits that will soon be used across Europe to train for the student analog missions in Alqueva, Portugal in 2025. Explore project.

12 Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
The success of all projects stems from the exceptional commitment of our members and volunteers. The positive team dynamic, captured perfectly in a photo of Flight Director Reinhard Tlustos and his deputy Cillian Murphy, sustains us through intensive mission phases. © OeWF/vog.photo

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