Aug 11 2015
A team of analog astronauts is currently simulating the exploration of a Martian rock glacier in the Tyrol region of Austria. AMADEE-15, conducted by the Austrian Space Forum (ÖWF), is the highest altitude Mars analog mission ever attempted.
OeWF Analog-Astronauts with Puli Rover. Credit: OeWF/Claudia Stix
The10-day simulation is directed from the Mission Support Center in Innsbruck, Austria, and involves scientists from 19 countries in Europe and the United States. Experiments in planetary surface operations, geology, astrobiology and engineering experiments will be carried out with the aim of preparing for future manned missions to the Red Planet.
Following the successful MARS2013 campaign in Morocco two years ago, the Austrian Space Forum has chosen another landscape for AMADEE-15 that closely resembles Martian terrain: a rock glacier in the Tyrolean Kaunertal in Austria.
Essential to the simulation are the Austrian Space Forum’s analog astronauts, who will wear the spacesuit simulator ‘Aouda’ to perform the planned experiments. Aouda simulates the movement restrictions, weight, pressure and limited sensory input that would be experienced by an astronaut wearing a spacesuit on Mars. An elaborate human-machine interface, along with a system of sensors and specifically developed software, means that the suit can effectively become an assistant to the astronaut. The 45kg prototype has been developed to optimize interactions with other (robotic) components, such as a rover, and minimize the risk of human contamination to samples collected.
The analog astronauts are supported remotely by an interdisciplinary team based at the Mission Support Center in Innsbruck and at research facilities in locations including Warsaw, Athens and Budapest, who monitor the experiments and receive the captured data.
During the simulation all communication between the Mission Support Center and the field crew is time-delayed by 10 minutes to mirror the conditions of a Mars expedition. The Mission Support Center must therefore wait a minimum of 20 minutes to receive an answer to any request, allowing time for the signal to make the round trip from ‘Earth’ to ‘Mars’ and back again.
“For the current Mars Analog Mission we can again depend on two very supportive partners: Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen, who operates the ski regions on the glacier, and T-Mobile, one of Austria’s biggest mobile network operators,” says Dr Gernot Grömer, expedition lead of AMADEE-15 and Austrian Space Forum board member. “Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen provides us with their excellent in situ logistics and we use T-Mobile’s LTE broadband Internet connection to transfer several gigabytes of sensitive data from the field to the Mission Support Center daily,” Grömer adds.
Astrobiology, Geology, Human Medicine, Robotics and Engineering Experiments
During AMADEE-15, a camera suspended from a helium balloon will support the analog astronauts in the field. Ground penetrating radar will be used to detect sub surface deposits of ice, while other scientific methods will be used to date the age of moraines. Scientists will use a laser to provide evidence for microbiological life that exists in extreme environments such as glaciers. For the first time, a 3D Mars Virtual-Reality platform utilizing Oculus Rift will be tested. Its user can move through a virtual Mars landscape and habitat. This equipment was developed to provide future Mars Astronauts a training environment that is as realistic as possible. Further experiments focus on life-supporting equipment, such as a 3D printer to supply humans with dentures on their long journey to Mars or a water-vapor shower that uses only a fraction of the usual amount of water spent.
Junior Researchers Explore Mars
In cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology, the Austrian Space Forum has invited 13 Austrian students and two 2 Swiss students aged between 16 and 19 to join the mission for two days. After the visit, they will continue to engage communities as space exploration ambassadors, sharing their experience with a wider audience in their respective social circles and work environments.