Activities undertaken on Earth to simulate human space missions
Human analog missions are activities undertaken on Earth in various environments to simulate aspects of human missions to other worlds, including theMoon,asteroids, andMars. These remote field tests are performed in locations that are identified based on their physical similarities to the extreme space environments of a target mission.[1] Such activities are undertaken to test hardware and operational concepts in relevant environments.
Obviously no analog can simulate all aspects of a human space mission here on Earth. That is why a wide array of analog activities are necessary, each testing only a few important concepts and/or hardware elements at a time.
- Analog Astronaut Training Center – organization with two full-isolation research laboratories (habitats) and analog astronaut training program with international internship certification.[2] As of August 2023 there was 65 analog mission, 4 PhD researches, 9 MS studies and 30 BS studies. AATC specializes in human physiology research and operational trainings for scientists, engineers, and astronaut candidates. AATC is founded by two former European Space Agency professionals: an engineer (Matt Harasymczuk) and a scientist (Agata Kolodziejczyk). Both research facilities are located in southern part of Poland. Beside scientific projects, co-supervision of engineer, bachelor, master and doctoral theses, AATC organizes rocket workshops, stratospheric missions, recreational and technical scuba diving trainings and scientific lunar and martian analog simulations. Organization own 4 training space suits; 2 LEM (Lunar Extravehicular Mobility suit) for surface exploration, two underwater visor-up training suits and one underwater pressurized visor-down suit. Analog Astronaut Training Center together with International Institute of Astronautical Sciences also organizes two EVA pre-familiarization trainings in Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Groton, CT, USA.
- Pavilion Lake Research Project (PLRP) – This is a joint project between theCanadian Space Agency and NASA which conducts research onPavilion Lake and others in British Columbia, Canada to explain the origin of freshwater microbialites, as well as to test operational concepts for deep space missions. While the lake is not a close physical analog to the Moon or Mars or an asteroid, the complex operations of the field team and back room in dealing with communications, power, safety, science, etc., make the project an excellent operational analog.
- Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) – This NASA-funded annual expedition uses various field sites on theSvalbardarchipelago (Norway) because these sites are thought to be analogous to sites on ancient Mars. These sites provide an excellent opportunity to test hardware and instruments to assist in detection and characterization of low levels ofmicrobiota and organic and mineralogicalbiomarkers.
- Mars Analogue Research Station Program (MARS) – This project, run by theMars Society, includes stations at Devon Island in the Arctic (FMARS) (see alsoHMP) and Southern Utah (MDRS). Multinational teams live and work at the stations for two to four weeks conducting simulated missions and science experiments, testing hardware and operational concepts.
- Haughton Mars Project (HMP) – This project on Devon Island in the Arctic is run jointly bySETI and theMars Society. The project utilizes the Mars-like features of the Island and the impact crater to develop and test new technologies and field operating procedures, and to study the human dynamics which result from extended contact in close quarters.
- PolAres – This interdisciplinary research programme by theAustrian Space Forum has undertaken a number of Mars analog missions and has conducted a multi-national field simulation in the Sahara desert nearErfoud inMorocco in February 2013.[3]
- Project Moonwalk ("MOONWALK") – This project is funded by theEuropean Commission under the “space activity” theme of the 7th Framework Programme is to develop and test technologies for astronaut-robot cooperation applied to Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVA) on planetary surfaces and training procedures for future human missions to Moon and Mars.[4]
- Desert Mars Analog Ramon Station (D-MARS) - Is an analogue mission to mars, taking place inMakhtesh Ramon (-Ramon crater) located in theIsrael'sNegevdesert. Ramon's geological features bear similarity to the soil condition of Mars's soil. In addition, the mission takes place in the crater because of its relative abundance. Several missions have been carried out since the beginning of 2018, each staffed by six Ramonauts (what crew members are called). They have accomplished many experiments in many disciplines, including physics, soil studies, microbial studies, psychology, agriculture, water supply, and engineering. Between 15Oct-15Nov2020, theAustrian Space Forum – in cooperation with theIsrael Space Agency as the host agency and D-MARS – will conduct an integrated Mars analog field mission in the Negev Desert in Israel - theAMADEE-20 Mars simulation. The expedition will be carried out in a Martian terrestrial analog and directed by a dedicated Mission Support Center in Austria. A small field crew of highly trained analog astronauts with spacesuit simulators will conduct experiments preparing for future human and robotic Mars exploration missions.[5]
- LunAres Research Station - an analogue research station for crewed space mission simulation, located at the post-military airport in Poland, open for scientists and researchers. The station can hold a Lunar and Martian 2 weeks mission for a 6-person crew, providing space and infrastructure for complex research on the impact of long-term extra-terrestrial human presence. The base is fully isolated from the environment including 250 square meters of EVA area.[6]
- Inflatable Lunar-Mars Analog Habitat (ILMAH) – This NASA-funded program utilizes the Inflatable Lunar-Mars Analog Habitat, owned and operated by theUniversity of North Dakota's Human Spaceflight Laboratory, to simulate and develop human in the loop systems to be used for planetary space exploration.
- Habitat Marte - a permanent analog station in a semiarid region of Brazil, 120 km west ofNatal. Habitat Marte consists of one brick-and-mortar station with a greenhouse forhydroponics andaquaponics research, as well as an auditorium for education events. The station is the only one in the world featuring a swimming pool for underwater EVAs. Habitat Marte conducts monthly analog missions and is open for applicants around the world.
