Anatomy of a Mars mission
of Austrian Spaceflight History.
Mars is the next logical step in the exploration programmes : in order to stimulate the necessary technology developments, the US-based Mars Society operates a Mars-Analogue Station in the desert of southern Utah since 2000, where short-duration surface missions are simulated.
In April 2006, the „AustroMars“ expedition has carried out such a simulation: the crew, support personnel as well as the majority of experiments was coming from Austria. The Mission Control Center was located in Salzburg (Austria), while the simulation took place. The project is to be understood as a technology testbed for Mars analogue sciences, and, at the same time, a showcase of national research capabilities.
Besides scientific stimuli, Austromars enhances –in connection with a plethora of media- and outreach activities- the public perception of space activities and presents a vivid austrian research landscape as a small, but significant european player in exploration activities.
Background
| The European and American space organisations started two grand exploration projects with the goal of taking Man to Mars. Regardless wether the decision if people will be send to this great voyage tomorrow or in 10 years we have to develope technologies to turn the flight into a safe and cost-effective endeavour.
Mars is the next fundamental step of our space flight program: to stimulate the essential technological developments for a mission like this, Mars Society operates a so-called analogue-station in the desert of Utah where short-time missions (two weeks) are being simulated. 2006 the Austromars expedition conducts such a mission: for the first time the crew, the support team and the experiments as well as the major part of the hardware are from Austria. On the one hand the project consists of research activities concerning the development of strategies and technology for manned mars missions in the future and on the other hand it is a demonstration of the capabilities of the national space capacities. Apart from the scientific stimulus Austromars also focuses the public view on space activities and - closely associated with enormous involvement of the media tightly associated with massive involvement of media - presents a young scientific landscape in Austriabeing a top performer in the field of European space-travel. |
 The Austromars mission emblem: the Edelweiss symbolizes Austria, the red and blue discs represent Mars and Earth. During the simulation the planet Mars is located in the constellation Taurus with its red giant Aldeberan. The six stars stand for the six flightcrew members. One arc displays the transport from Earth to Mars, the other one is a reference to Austria. |
