bridges vol. 11, September 2006 / Feature Articles
by Caroline Adenberger

A hostile desert environment and blistering heat. No idea what to expect outside the habitat, an eight-meter diameter, two-deck cylindrical structure mounted on landing struts. That's exactly the situation the flight crew of "AustroMars" had to face in April this year when arriving at MARS . . . but no, we're not talking (yet) about the first human landing on the Red Planet itself but about the first "landing" of an all-Austrian crew on the so-called "Mars Analog Research Station" (MARS) in the desert of Utah in the United States (which, by the way, also explains the "blistering heat." On real Mars, the temperature would be a little chillier, with an average of 218 K or -55°C).

The six Austrians forming the "flight crew" became analog-astronauts for two weeks, successfully conducting 17 experiments in various scientific fields under Mars-like conditions in and around the habitat, and under many of the same constraints as they would encounter on the Red Planet. Two years of preparation preceded their mission, with about 120 volunteers from Austrian universities and private businesses preparing and organizing the whole project. Sponsored by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency with €80,000, and supported by several private businesses, the costs for this project amount to approximately €140,000 according to the main organizers, the Austrian Space Forum.

The goal of the AustroMars mission was to gain new knowledge for the first real human space flight to Mars. Although a manned space flight to Mars is, at the present time, still a distant prospect, habitats like the one in Utah represent a key element in the preparation and planning of the future human Mars mission.

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