From October 15 to November 15, the Austrian Space Forum (ÖWF) will conduct its 13th simulation of an astronautical Mars mission there. Numerous international research institutions are involved in the "Amadee-20" mission. In addition, four apprentices from Gebrüder Weiss will prepare the entire logistics and customs clearance for this extraordinary transportation.

Dr. Gernot Grömer, Director of the Austrian Space Fund, explains: "For Amadee-20, we need our two spacesuit simulators as well as highly sensitive equipment for 16 experiments by our international research partners. The equipment fills two sea freight containers. With Gebrüder Weiss, we have been able to gain one of Europe's leading transport and logistics companies as a reliable partner, which places just as much value on quality and precision as the Austrian Space Forum."

"The high demands of the Mars mission are a welcome opportunity for us to put our logistics expertise to the test. This is a challenge in which we deliberately involve our junior staff in order to introduce them to responsibility as early and realistically as possible. This is the only way to turn today's junior staff into tomorrow's experts. All logistical tasks, customs clearance and the transportation of mission equipment are handled by four of our apprentices under supervision," says Armin Ploner, Branch Manager Air & Sea at Gebrüder Weiss in Hall.

What is analog research?
Dr. Gernot Grömer, Director of the ÖWF, explains: "Analog research tests and searches for weak points so that everything goes smoothly during actual deployment. The equipment should then be designed to suit the area of operation, procedures planned efficiently and people properly trained for their tasks. TheÖWF has specialized in the preparation of future astronautical expeditions to other planets. During our missions, we look for errors in work processes and equipment so that these are not discovered on Mars, for example, and lead to problems there. The ÖWF is therefore one of the shipbuilders for future astronautical missions to Mars."

About Amadee-20
From October 15 to November 15, the Austrian Space Forum is leading the international Mars analog mission "Amadee-20" in a Mars-like area of the Negev Desert in Israel. Experiments from Austria, Germany, France, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the USA will be carried out by six specially trained analog astronauts from the Austrian Space Forum. These experts wear the "Aouda" spacesuit simulator, which the Austrian Space Fund is one of only five organizations worldwide to have developed. The analog astronauts (field crew) in Israel will be supported by the Mission Support Center in Innsbruck, where several teams will be responsible for providing scientific support to the field crew, drawing up the mission schedule, securing the collected data and providing medical supervision for the field crew. Amadee-20 is the ÖWF's 13th Mars analog mission.

About the Austrian Space Forum
The Austrian Space Forum (ÖWF) is one of the world's leading organizations in the field of analog research, working on the preparation of astronautical exploration of other planets. Experts from a wide range of disciplines form the basis for this work within the ÖWF. Together with national and international research institutions, industry and companies from various sectors, research is carried out here at the highest level. The ÖWF uses its excellent contacts with opinion leaders, politicians and the media to promote and publicize top Austrian research and technology internationally. The Austrian Space Forum is also one of the most important educational institutions in Austria when it comes to space travel and getting young people interested in science and technology and giving them access to this sector. In addition to supervising university projects, the ÖWF also offers students and school pupils the opportunity to expand their knowledge through internships.