In expanse of Oman desert, a gateway to life on Mars

During the mission, the team will carry out a series of experiments

In sunglasses and jumpsuits, a crew of European test astronauts is laying the groundwork for a Mars simulation in the barren expanse of the Omani desert, a terrestrial mission intended to pave the way to the red planet.

The “analogue astronauts” of the Austrian Space Forum — a volunteer-based collective — have arrived in Oman to begin preparations for a four-week simulation mission due to begin next year.

Touching down at Marmul Airport, a remote outpost used by oil workers, the five-person advance team loaded up on sunscreen and, with their Omani counterparts dressed in crisp white gowns and colourful turbans, boarded four-by-fours and plunged into the desert under the blazing sun.

“We want to simulate Mars on Earth and so we need a place that looks as much like Mars as possible. And we found it here in Oman,” Alexander Soucek, the lead flight director of the AMADEE-18 mission, told AFP.

The team was on a quest to pin down the location of the base camp for the simulation, to be held in February.

“When we fly to Mars in reality, we will need as many questions as possible already answered so that we are really well prepared,” Soucek said.

During the mission, the team will carry out a series of experiments, from growing greens without soil in an inflatable hydroponic greenhouse to testing an autonomous “tumbleweed” rover, which maps out terrain while propelled by the wind.

Field commander Gernot Groemer predicts a Mars mission may be carried out by a collective of the US, Russia, Europe and possibly China soon — with the first human to set foot on the red planet maybe already born.

‘Sneak preview’

“What we’re going to see here in about 100 days is going to be a sneak preview into the future,” said Groemer.

For the Omani Astronomical Society, which invited the Austrian Space Forum, the mission is a way to inspire the country’s youth. Al Khattab Ghalib Al Hinai, deputy head of the steering committee for AMADEE-18 and vice chairman of Oman’s State Council, says a high school team will even participate.

“The whole idea is to ignite imagination within the young society in Oman, female and male,” the geologist said.