Monsaraz to host Mars human exploration simulation in April

The town of Monsaraz, Portugal, will host a simulation of human Mars exploration from April 5 to 18. The initiative is promoted by the Austrian Space Forum and led by João Lousada, a mission manager at the European Space Agency.

The mission will involve six analog astronauts, including Lousada and representatives from the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Sweden. The team will test scientific methods, technologies, and operational procedures under conditions designed to mimic Mars. Their tasks include conducting 17 scientific experiments while wearing 50-kilogram space suit simulators.

To replicate the distance between Earth and Mars, communications with the operations center in Vienna, Austria, will feature a purposeful 10-minute delay, reflecting the average radio signal travel time. The project involves several collaborators, including the University of Évora, the Institute of Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science, the Alqueva Lake Observatory, and the Portuguese space and defense technology company Tekever.