Research into the environmental impact caused by a nuclear power plant.
Preparing for Mars: The Austrian Space Forum's AMADEE Missions
The Austrian Space Forum (ÖWF) is playing a pivotal role in advancing human Mars research, by conducting Mars analogue missions on Earth. The ÖWF's flagship project in this area is the AMADEE mission series, designed to test technologies, operational procedures, and conduct scientific research relevant to Martian exploration.
Each AMADEE mission is unique, requiring adaptation of procedures and algorithms to suit the specific mission objectives. The key objectives of the AMADEE mission include validating new space technologies, training astronaut crews and mission researchers, studying human factors, developing autonomous surface mobility solutions, and enabling international collaboration in Mars analogue research.
The AMADEE mission series is essential as a building block for a manned Mars mission. Through these missions, the ÖWF aims to make future Mars missions scientifically productive and safe, and Austria's contribution as "red-white-red" know-how.
Preparations for the AMADEE mission begin at least two years before the actual journey, involving negotiations with the host country, tendering of scientific experiments, crew selection, and establishment of support teams. The AMADEE mission team works with international research teams, logistics, and technical coordination partners, including Gebrüder Weiss for specialized transports and the host country for the base station.
The Armenian desert was chosen as the location for AMADEE20XX due to its Mars-like terrain, accessibility, and local support, as well as factors like safety, infrastructure, and the ability to control the environment for scientific purposes. The mission involves a pool of 13 analog astronauts from member states of the European Union, who are well-trained and specialized for each mission.
The AMADEE mission tests materials under Mars-like conditions, such as sandblasting, stress on energy carriers, and wear of critical components. It also focuses on the interplay of human and machine, with a focus on decision-making autonomy due to time-delayed communication with Mars. The mission is interested in the role of AI in decision-making during the mission, particularly in safety-critical situations, and is seeking to find the "sweet spot" between relying on technology and having meaningful human support.
Findings from the AMADEE mission are integrated into international space projects through data analysis, workshops, and scientific publications. Through these efforts, the ÖWF and AMADEE missions contribute to reducing risks and improving preparedness for eventual human missions to Mars. This proactive analogue research supports the broader global human Mars exploration initiatives by providing practical operational experience and technology validation before sending humans to the Red Planet.
Space travel is a team effort, and the ÖWF aims to contribute to making the farthest, most ambitious, and technologically challenging journey of our generation a success. By pushing the boundaries of what is possible on Earth, the AMADEE missions are helping to pave the way for human exploration of Mars.
- The AMADEE mission series, such as AMADEE20XX, not only test new space technologies but also foster international collaboration in Mars-analogue research, integrating findings into global space projects.
- As part of the AMADEE mission, a pool of specialized astronauts from European Union member states focus on the interplay of human and machine, specifically investigating the role of AI in decision-making and safety-critical situations during space exploration.
