AMADEE-18

In February 2018, the Austrian Space Forum - in partnership with the Oman National Steering Committee for AMADEE-18 - will conduct a highly international Mars analogue field simulation in the Dhofar region, Oman. Directed by a Mission Support Center in Austria, a small field crew will conduct experiments preparing for future human Mars missions in the fields of engineering, planetary surface operations, astrobiology, geophysics/geology, life sciences and other disciplines.

Conducting field research in a representative environment is an excellent tool for gaining operational experience and to understand the advantages and limitations of remote science operations on other planetary bodies. This field mission is designed to be:

• an opportunity to study equipment, procedures and workflows under Mars analogue conditions with  humans-in-the-loop
• a platform for testing life-detection and geophysical techniques, terrain tests for rovers and for increasing the situational awareness of remote support teams
• studying the test site as a model region for Martian deserts and extreme life
• serving as an outreach platform to enhance the visibility of planetary sciences

Experiments: