It’s About Space!
Israel’s space efforts had a collaboration that went to Mars… sort of. “Astronauts Touch Down in Negev’s Crater After Mission to Mars” reads the headline. “In a collaboration between the Israel Space Agency and the Austrian Space Forum, 6 analog astronauts spent several weeks simulating life on the Red Planet and conducting experiments.” The term analog astronauts refers to the astronauts simulating conditions in space while never leaving earth.” The astronauts came from six countries, including Israel, Germany, and Portugal.
As Gernot Gromer, director of the Austrian Forum said, “The Ramon Crater was selected because it had “a close earthbound substitution for the conditions on Mars. The Ramon Crater is a formidable example of a Mars analog on earth. It has both geological and ecological twins on Mars-it has areas that look really, really stunningly similar.”
The Austrian Space Forum has conducted twelve other analog missions, each endeavoring to bring exploration of the Red Planet closer. “A first step embarking on a journey yet to come.”
(Source: Amy Spiro; Times of Israel)
