About the OeWF

The Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) is a citizen science organization for space professionals and people with a passion for space in collaboration with both national and international research institutions, industry and politics.

Our organization…

…conducts cutting-edge interdisciplinary research: We specialize on space sciences, (human) Mars exploration, Earth observation and Astrobiology. Our work is published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at scientific conferences and communicated to both to specialists and the public.

…provides an interface for the Austrian space sector: The forum builds bridges between the space industry, academia, policy institutions, decision makers and opinion leaders and the public. The OeWF is an independent and competent point of contact within the Austrian or European space sector.

…initiates, supports, and connects careers: We offer student internship, project involvements, supervise graduates at universities, and enable the participation in research and development projects.

…builds and flies, we explain and inspire: Hardware, hands-on projects, work in a laboratory or a workshop, and field experiments are the basis of the forum’s programs. Activities for elementary school students, evening events with audiences (sometimes with hundreds of attendees), flying water rockets, street-science and consulting for space sciences – We love to do hands-on activities.

The forum hosts a very active membership base who often are space professionals. Individuals with a passion for space who join the forum, add their distinctive expertises and broaden the capabilities of the organization.

What do we do?

The spectrum of activities ranges from classroom lectures to organizing exhibitions that reach tens of thousands of people; from providing professional expertise to the Republic of Austria, fling stratospheric balloons to conducting international (simulated) Mars-Expeditions and developing nano-satellite subsystems:
We are Austria’s Space Network.

This article is available in: German